Darksteelshipping Dabbles
by latias-vibes
Summary: A collection of oneshots featuring the romance between Steven Stone and Cynthia.
1. The Honeymoon

"Steven we fell asleep!" Cynthia yelled as she shook the man next to her in the hotel bed. The two had just gotten married and had traveled to the Alola region for their honeymoon. Due to time differences, they were arriving during the day but it had felt like nighttime to them. They had tried to sleep on the plane but both were a little too giddy about being married to sleep then.

Steven stirred and groaned. "What?" he mumbled slowly opening his eyes. He turned on his side to look at the clock. It was 11:30. "Crap, we definitely missed our reservation."

"And the festival," Cynthia sighed running a hand through her hair. She had been really looking forward to experiencing the islands.

Steven sat up and wrapped his arms around her before he kissed her neck. "Relax babe. We'll just do it another day. There is always a festival going on here. We deserved the sleep."

Cynthia's frown immediately turned into a smile. "We are never going to adjust to the timezone now," she hummed into his embrace.

Steven chuckled and kissed her across her jaw. "Well, then we'll just make the most out of the night then." He stopped when both their stomachs growled. "Maybe starting with getting some food."

Cynthia laughed and nodded before attempting to get up but was stopped by Steven grabbing her hand and gently pulling her back into a kiss. She smiled and kissed him back deeply.

Cynthia changed into a black flowing sundress and put her hair up into a bun with her hair pieces sticking from it. Steven put on shorts and a patterned button up shirt. Once they were ready they found a twenty-four-hour malasada restaurant. They enjoyed the food before Steven dragged her out and said he had a surprise for her.

Steven brought Cynthia to a cliff that he told her they were climbing down. Cynthia sighed as she picked up her dress as she climbed over another rock. "I feel like the surprise is just a cover up for you to see rocks" she muttered as she tried to catch her balance.

Steven chuckled and reached for her hand to help steady her. "Oh shoot you figured me out," he teased before helping her down to the private beach.

Her eyes widened. It was beautiful. She turned to him. "Did you know about this?"

Steven smirked and shrugged. "Maybe," he said before taking the blanket out of his backpack and spreading it out. "After you, my love."

Cynthia smiled and blushed. Steven always knew how to surprise her. She sat down and stared at the waves in front of her and the beautiful palm trees. She couldn't believe this was real and no one was around to see it.

Steven sat down next to her and chuckled. "I might have looked it up when you were in the bathroom," he said grinning at the blonde.

Cynthia smirked before grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a deep kiss.

Steven kissed her back bringing her close to him. "By the way you look beautiful tonight, Mrs Stone."

Cynthia smiled wide at the name. It was finally official. She was married to the dashing Hoenn heartthrob after a year of dating. It had been the best year of her life and she couldn't wait for many more like it. "I could say the same thing about you."

Steven gently pushed her back and got on top of her before crashing their lips together. He had married the most stunning intelligent woman he had ever met. He looked forward to spending the rest of his life with his best friend. "I love you, my beautiful wife," he said between kisses.

Cynthia hummed against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you too my beautiful husband." She brought their bodies close as the waves crashed behind them and the stars twinkled above them. That night really made up for them missing the first day of their honeymoon.

* * *

 **If you have a suggestion for a oneshot please let me know. I love writing these.**


	2. Dancing

**Alright, I swear I'm gonna update Someone to Rely on soon as well as some of your ideas as well.**

* * *

Wallace and Winona's wedding had been very extravagant. The happy couple couldn't stop dancing with one another. It was very clear they had made the right decision to get back together.

Although the best man was extremely happy for them he needed to get a bit of air. He wasn't a big fan of large gatherings and it was getting very stuffy in the room. Steven had just taken a deep breath of the cool Hoenn breeze when he thought he heard someone crying. He frowned and slowly started to head in the direction. Usually, he minded his own business and tried not to get involved in other people's drama but for some reason, he followed the sound.

Steven turned the corner and saw a beautiful blonde woman in a teal dress sobbing into her hands on a bench. He furrowed his eyebrows when he realized it was the Sinnoh Champion. He had never had the opportunity of meeting her since he had walked away from being the champion before he had a chance to encounter her. Wallace had told him about her and how he would set them up, and plan their wedding, but Steven kept denying the offers. The sight of this woman being upset really bothered him, though. He couldn't help but go over to her. "Hey…" Steven said softly slowly approaching her. "I know we don't know each other but I heard you crying and um… wanted to give you some company. You look like you need it."

Cynthia looked up from her hands, that were stained with what used to be her makeup. This night had been absolutely awful. She had been so upset, that she hadn't noticed the blue haired man approach her. Her head snapped when she heard someone talking. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Steven Stone, the former Hoenn champion. Cynthia had seen him during the ceremony but she hadn't expected him to come here of all opportunities. Wallace had been trying to hook them up ever since she first met him. Wallace didn't even stop when she began dating Lance. Maybe he knew it would never end well. "O-Oh…" she sniffled. "I-I'm fine."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound like it," he said before sitting next to her. He pulled out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and handed it to her.

Cynthia sighed and hesitantly accepted the handkerchief. "I-I asked my boyfriend to dance with me. Y-You know something most couples do at weddings," she looked away and sighed. "That's when he got all huffy with me for some reason. I asked what I had done wrong cause all I did was ask to dance. L-Lance told me he was so frustrated dating me and admitted to cheating on me. Th-Then he dumped me."

Steven began to fume with anger when he heard the name. He had always hated Lance. When he was the champion, they constantly fought. The man was arrogant and manipulative. How dare he cheat on Cynthia of all people? Steven had kept up with her published historical research and it really impressed him. He knew she was a very intelligent woman and he couldn't believe anyone would cheat on her. His face softened when he realized he'd been scowling. "Sorry, I just really hate Lance already and now I have the urge to punch him in the face again."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow and the corner of her lips twitched up. "Again?"

Steven blushed slightly. He had never been one for physical violence but Lance was a different story. "He was talking down to Diantha one time, because 'she didn't know a thing about being a leader since she was too busy making movies.' She was totally right with what she was talking about too. I got so mad after the meeting I punched him in the jaw."

Cynthia chuckled softly. She could never imagine Steven Stone hitting anyone. "I can't say I don't blame you. He has a very punchable personality."

Steven smiled when she laughed softly. It was very lovely. It was something he wanted to see her do again. Steven had made it his goal to make her laugh again. "Look I know you must feel awful and all but he really is a shitty guy. I've known him for years and every time I try not to hate him I find new reasons to. You can do better. Trust me. Someone like you shouldn't waste their time on guys like him."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean someone like me?"

Steven blushed at the situation he had gotten himself in. "Well um… I don't know you just… are very beautiful and I've read your studies and they are groundbreaking and I have so many questions to about them by the way," he rambled realizing he was getting off track. "Did I mention you were beautiful? I mean ummm… You don't need to be with someone so toxic. I might barely know you but I know you deserve better than that."

Cynthia was now the one with crimson cheeks. His words meant a lot to her. Lance never cared for her studies. He always thought they were a distraction from her duties as champion. She smiled softly at him. "Thank you. That means a lot."

The two stared at each other for a few moments before Steven gave her a dashing smile. "You wouldn't happen to still be in the mood for dancing, would you? Because I would be honored to dance with you, Cynthia."

Cynthia smiled wide. Wallace was right, this man was oozing with charm. Her expression faded slightly when she remembered most of her makeup had dripped down her face. "I look like a mess, Steven."

Steven frowned and shook his head quickly. Cynthia still looked incredible even if she resembled an inkblot test. He took his handkerchief and wiped her face of all her runaway makeup. "Beautiful. I promise," He said before gently placing a hand on hers. "Now what do you say?"

Cynthia sighed contently. It should have taken some time for her to get over Lance… but maybe it was because she knew deep down their relationship had been over for a while. She nodded. "I'd love to."

Steven grinned and took them back inside the ballroom. There was an upbeat disco song that he knew Wallace picked because he always played this song. Steven didn't mind though. The song had grown on him. He carefully pulled them to the dance floor and immediately twirled her.

Cynthia couldn't help but giggle as they started to dance. She should have known Steven was going to be an incredible dancer. They continued to dance and sing with each other, having a grand time. She felt relaxed for the first time in a while.

The newly wed couple continued to dance. While her vision was upside down from Wallace dipping her, Winona spotted the blue haired man. "Oh my Arceus, Wallace, look at Steven!"

Wallace had been too distracted by his infatuation with his wife to notice anyone around him. He finally looked away from her and spotted Steven. His eyes widened when he saw Steven dancing, laughing, and singing with the Sinnoh champion. He grinned and felt his eyes water. "This night keeps getting better. I'm so happy."

The song ended and a slower one began to play causing Cynthia to blush. She wasn't sure where they stood and if this would be too sudden.

Before she could do anything he gently placed his hands on her hips and brought her close. "Is this okay?"

Cynthia smiled softly and carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. "Very okay," she whispered. "This night has been incredible. Thank you, Steven."

Steven smiled down at her. "Trust me, you made my night incredible too," he whispered. All he wanted to do right then was kiss her but he figured it was best to give her some time. She had just been dumped after all. Steven didn't mind waiting, though. Cynthia seemed worth it. That was when he noticed the turquoise-haired man and lavender-haired woman staring at him and mouthing for him to kiss her. He blushed and went back to focusing on Cynthia, trying to ignore his pushy friends.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, noticing he had looked embarrassed. She turned her head and noticed the newlywed couple mouthing something but then stopped when Cynthia looked. They pretended to act like they hadn't been doing anything. Cynthia however, knew exactly what was going on. A smirk crept on her face before she leant up and pressed her lips gently on his. It was a sweet kiss but there was a lot of passion behind it.

Steven's face turned a bright red when he felt her kiss his lips. He was dumbfounded and stunned at what was going on.

Cynthia chuckled at his expression. "Let's just say it was a wedding present," she teased.

Steven finally smiled and softly and nodded. He had really liked the kiss and couldn't stop thinking about doing it again.

Eventually, it was getting late, and most the guests had already left. Steven and Cynthia had danced the entire night. After the last dance they went over to the happily married couple, while Steven had an arm around Cynthia. "Congratulations once again, you two. Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon. Send lots of photos."

Wallace and Winona smirked at the two. "I really want to say I told you so. Please let me," Wallace teased.

Winona chuckled as she leaned into her husband. "Should we be expecting another wedding soon?"

Steven and Cynthia were blushing brightly. They had already planned on hanging out in his hotel room after this so she could show him some of her research she had just done and he could tell her about his. Finally, Steven rolled his eyes. "Have a safe trip you too," He said simply before leading them away.

Cynthia chuckled. "We are never going to hear the end of this."

Steven shook his head. "Never," He agreed as the left the ballroom and started to walk to the hotel.

* * *

 **I might come back to this one. I had a lot of fun with it.**


	3. Distracted

Cynthia sighed as she leaned against the wall of Olivia's store. She knew this was going to be one of the highlights of the honeymoon for Steven and she wanted him to enjoy it. However, it had been four hours and she had really wanted to go to a couple of other stores before they closed. She looked at her watch and decided to go out on her own. "Hey, Steven."

Steven had been gazing at a sparkling red stone. "The pigment in this one is incredible."

Olivia nodded. "It is very rare that they are like this." She raised an eyebrow at Steven ignoring his wife.

Cynthia bit her lip. "Steven, I'm going to head out and check some things out."

Steven still engrossed in the stone didn't acknowledge his recently married wife.

Cynthia knew this was something he was passionate about but this was getting a little ridiculous. She decided instead of getting mad at him to just leave. They'd find each other eventually. She left the store and began walking to a street vender down the road.

After another hour Cynthia had purchased a few herbs from a hiker and a new top from an apparel store. She was sitting at the end of a dock watching the sunset, when she heard her name being called.

"Cynthia!" Steven yelled as he ran over to her. He had a deep frown on his face as he approached her. "I'm a terrible husband. Olivia told me how I ignored you and I am so sorry. I was caught up in her store. Cynthia, you know how I get! I feel awful."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow up at Steven as he frantically apologized. "Steven, calm down. Relax. You aren't a terrible husband. You are a very big stone enthusiast. I love how passionate you are. I just wish you'd responded."

Steven sighed and nodded. "I am so sorry. I love you more than anything else," he said before sitting down next her. "I will try and get better at it. You are more important than stones you know?"

"I know." Cynthia smiled softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

The corner of Steven's lips curved up when he rested her head on his shoulder. "I got you something," he said before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a necklace with a black sparkling stone on it. There were light blue speckles inside the stone. "It' reminded me of us. I don't know. You and black. Me and light blue I couldn't resist."

Cynthia's eyes widened and smiled. "Steven, you spoil me. Thank you. It's beautiful and personal. I love it."

Steven rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Maybe, but it brings me joy to make you happy… and sometimes that involves spoiling you." Cynthia moved her hair aside so he could put it around her neck. "Perfect, like you," He said smiling charmingly.

Cynthia chuckled and kissed him softly. "Cheesy, like you."


	4. Kiss Ass

Steven bit his lip as he approached his home in Sinnoh. It had been a couple days since he'd gone on a trip with Riley. They were researching stones for Steven's book. He was supposed to be gone for a few more, but he may have been in a small accident where he broke his arm. He already that she was going to be upset with him and he knew he'd deserve it. Steven really had to be more careful now that he was a father. Cynthia had been the one to push him to start researching again but wasn't fond of him coming back with injuries. However, if he played this right he was pretty sure he could keep Cynthia from being too mad at him. After a few moments of hesitation, Steven slowly opened the door and entered his house.

Jade, a tiny girl, with light blue hair and a face almost identical to Cynthia, had been coloring at the kitchen table. Her head turned to the door when it opened. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened. "Daddy!" she hopped down from the chair and ran over to him.

Steven couldn't care how much pain his arm was in. He swooped his daughter up with his free arm and held her up on his hip. "How are you? I've missed you so much."

Cynthia who had been cooking dinner raised an eyebrow when her daughter jumped down from her chair and yelled that her father. Steven wasn't supposed to be home for a couple of days. She stepped away from the stove and looked around the corner. Of course, he had gotten hurt. There was no other reason for him to be home early.

Steven's eyes widened slightly when he saw that look on Cynthia's face. Yup, he was in trouble. He went over to Cynthia and kissed her across her cheek then onto her lips. "How is my beautiful, incredible, forgiving wife that I love so much? Did I mention how beautiful you are?"

Cynthia sighed when he kissed her cheek. She knew what he was doing and maybe it was working a bit. Cynthia stared at him silently not letting him win that easily.

Jade frowned and looked at her father's injury. "What happened to your arm, Daddy?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes, Steven what happened to your arm?" she asked in a bitterly sarcastic tone, crossing her arm.

Steven frowned slightly but tried to remain in control of the situation. "I was in a minor accident while excavating in a cave."

Cynthia scoffed "Minor? Steven you-"

Steven sighed and put his daughter down. "I know, Cynthia. I know I messed up. You have every right to be mad right now but can we just eat dinner and talk later? Please?" Steven really didn't like fighting, let alone fighting in front of his daughter. Cynthia had always been so good to him and he knew he deserved to be chastised but right now he couldn't handle it.

Cynthia sighed knowing his request was pretty reasonable. Steven looked exhausted, in pain, and hungry. She could tell he felt bad for what had happened. "Go wash up. Dinner should be ready soon."

Steven smiled softly and mouthed 'thank you' before kissing her cheek again. He went to the kitchen and washed his hand. "So what have you been drawing Jade?"

Jade smiled and went over to the table. She reached for her drawing and held it up. "It's me you, Mommy, and Uncle Wallace!"

Steven chuckled and moved closer to it. "I think we have raised quite the artist," he said looking over her shoulder.

Cynthia simply nodded as she started dishing out the food. "Jade dinners almost ready can you put away your crayons."

Jade nodded. "Yes Mommy," she said picking up her crayons and putting them away.

Steven grinned at the drawing and hung it on the fridge with a magnet next to other hand drawn then went to the drawer and pulled out three forks and knives. Steven went to the table and started to set them.

Cynthia sighed as she watched her husband carefully try and place the utensils down. "Do you need help?"

Steven smiled softly at her and shook his head. "No, I've got it. Thank you , though babe."

During dinner, Steven told them all about what he had seen with Riley on his trip. Jade listened with such awe, completely engrossed in the stories.

Cynthia watched the two interact and smiled softly.

After dinner, Steven read Jade a bedtime story before tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. He then sheepishly went to his bedroom where his wife was sitting on the bed waiting for him. Steven sighed and nervously stood there. "Before you say anything. I know I can't be reckless anymore. I love you and Jade so much and I know that if anything happened to me you guys would be crushed. I don't have to go on any more trips. I should focus more on our family."

Cynthia walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Shut up. I'm just happy you are alive."

Steven sighed and hugged her back with his good arm. "I know… I was being super careful too. It was just a freak accident."

Cynthia nodded. "I understand. I trust you , Steven. That's why I agreed to let you go out on these trips in the first place. Just don't get yourself killed."

Steven nodded. "I won't. I promise," He said kissing her gently.

The next morning Cynthia's eyes slowly fluttered opened when she felt a gentle presence. She smiled when she saw her daughter on top of her. "Morning cutie."

Jade smiled. "Morning Mommy. Guess what?"

Cynthia chuckled at Jade's enthusiasm as she stroked her hair. "What?"

"Daddy and I made you breakfast!" she said as Steven carried in a plate of pancakes with his free hand.

Steven smiled and kissed his wife's cheek. "Morning," He said before placing the pancakes on the nightstand next to a mug of coffee and a rose in a vase.

Cynthia looked at him with wide eyes. Steven never knew how to 'take it easy.' Instead of resting his arm, he was making pancakes for her… but she really appreciated the gesture. It was difficult when Steven would go on his trips for his research and she having to take care of Jade alone. She was still the Champion of Sinnoh after all. However, after a year of him being a stay at home dad, she knew he needed this. It was Cynthia that convinced him to go back out there as long as he was safe and didn't go for too long. "Thank you," she said softly.

Steven grinned. "It took a couple trips," He teased and winked at her.

Cynthia grinned and watch Jade move next to her and watched her eat her pancakes. "Daddy let me put the whipped cream on."

Cynthia chuckled. "The fun part huh?"

Jade nodded. "And guess what? We have another surprise."

Steven shifted his weight nervously. "This one isn't as exciting as breakfast sweetie. Maybe we should let her finish first."

Jade pouted. "I think it's very exciting! Uncle Wallace is coming to visit today!"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows. She was not expecting company. Especially the company of a very enthusiastic friend of theirs. "What?"

Steven grinned sheepishly. "Surprise?" he said with hopeful enthusiasm.

Cynthia looked at her pancakes silently for a few moments before and chuckling. "Surprise indeed," she said before starting to eat her pancakes.

Steven let out a sigh of relief and sat next to his wife in bed. "It wasn't my decision. Riley told him about my arm. Wallace freaked out, in the usual Wallace way, and hopped on the first plane to Sinnoh."

Cynthia smiled at him. "I should have seen this coming."

Steven chuckled. "Me too. I was planning on making you pancakes anyway but with an unexpected guest staying for a couple days I thought I should really step them up with whipped cream."

Cynthia rolled her eyes as she swallowed her bite. "Steven Stone, you are the biggest kiss ass I know," she said before dipping her finger in the whipped cream and putting it on his nose.

Steven's eyes widened at the sticky white fluff on his nose. He smirked at her. "Oh, you are so going to regret that," he teased before dipping his finger in the whipped cream and putting it on her cheek.

Jade giggled and clapped her hands as she watched her parents try to put more whipped cream on each other. 


	5. A Funny Coincidence (Valentine's Day)

**Here is a very special Valentine's Day fic! Sorry I haven't been uploading as much. I have been super busy with school. This one is a lot longer than the other oneshots but I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Every year, the Lily of the Valley Conference ended on February 13th, which meant Valentine's Day was always very difficult for year Steven always did something extremely sweet for her while Cynthia could barely get out of bed before noon.

However, this year she swore it would be different. Steven deserved it. He was always so patient and forgiving of her quickly written cards that she would write in between a match at the conference.

On Valentine's Day morning, Steven woke up early to make breakfast for Cynthia like he usually did on the holiday. He turned to Cynthia's side of the bed when he noticed she wasn't there. He furrowed his eyebrows and snapped his head to the clock. 7 a.m. Steven's heart started to pound because he assumed something was wrong. There was no way she'd be up at 7, especially the day after the conference. He sprinted out of bed and started to look around the house. "Cynthia! Are you here?!" Steven's eyes started to water up because he was so scared. The thought of something happening to his girlfriend of three years made him nauseous.

Finally, he checked the kitchen and his eyes widened. On the table was a single rose, a plate of sticky buns and a note. Steven raised an eyebrow as he slowly went to the table to read the note.

 _Dear Steven,_

 _Happy Valentine's Day, Steven. I've decided to make this one extra special since you make every day special for me. I always thought those romantic scavenger hunts were cheesy but this year I thought you could use the adventure. Eat up, get dressed, then go to then you'll find your next clue at the library where it all began._

 _xoxoxo_

 _Cynthia_

Steven read the note twice over before letting out a content sigh. He never minded that Cynthia wasn't the best at Valentine's Day. He completely understood that she was exhausted after the conference. All that mattered to him was that they were together. However, he really did appreciate what she was doing. Steven ate breakfast before going upstairs to get ready. After he put on his normal suit he grabbed something out of his top drawer and put it in his pocket. Steven smiled softly before heading to his first destination. He knew exactly where to go.

* * *

 _The first time they met had been at the Oreburgh library. Steven was doing some research while he was visiting the region He had some time off from the league and wanted to explore Sinnoh region. Steven was reaching for a book when a fragile hand also placed their hand on the book._

 _The two turned to each other. Steven saw a breathtaking woman, with blonde hair that flowed past her waist. In that moment he felt his heart skip a beat._

" _I didn't think anyone else read about the history of Mt. Coronet," she joked with a smile that could brighten a room._

 _Steven couldn't help but smile in return. "I actually find it very fascinating. Sinnoh has a lot of history to it. I've been really enjoying learning about this region."_

 _The woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you aren't from here then?"_

 _Steven shook his head. "No, I'm from the Hoenn region actually." He was about to tell her that he was the champion but he decided to keep that on the down-low in order not draw attention to himself. Being a celebrity, made it very difficult to get close with people. Often times they were more interested in his celebrity status, so he thought it would be best if he just didn't bring it up._

 _However, the woman's eyes widened as she realized who he was. "I know who you are. You are Steven Stone right?"_

 _Steven blushed slightly and looked down at his feet. "Yeah… that's me."_

 _The woman chuckled and somehow smiled brighter than before. "What a funny coincidence."_

 _Steven looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Coincidence? I'm not following?"_

 _The woman faked a gasp. "You don't know who I am? I'm the Sinnoh champion, Cynthia."_

 _Steven's eyes widened. What a small world. He had heard Sinnoh had gotten a new champion but he had been too busy to really keep up with it. Steven smiled softly. "My apologies. I haven't been able to keep up with the news much lately. It is a pleasure to meet you, Cynthia." Steven took her hand and pressed his lips against it._

 _Cynthia raised an eyebrow at the gesture but smiled contently. "If I would have known you were coming I would have come by to welcome you."_

 _Steven shrugged. "I'm not one for drawing attention to myself." He felt butterfrees in his stomach as he continues to stare at Cynthia. Something about this woman made everything else in the library vanish, other than the two of them. "Though, I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet you."_

 _Cynthia nodded as she leaned against the shelf. "Me too. Since I wasn't there to greet you please let me at least buy you coffee. I'd love to hear about your research you've been doing."_

 _Steven's lips curled up more at the invitation. "I'd love to." In that moment, he knew Cynthia was special._

* * *

Steven entered the library and walked straight to the history section. It was definitely going to be here. He scanned the shelf until he found the book on Mt. Coronet _._ Steven pulled the book out and opened it up. A note was carefully tucked inside the cover.

 _You'll find the next clue in the town with many smells where you first cast your spell._

 _Cynthia_

Steven smiled at the note and put it in his pocket before leaving the library. She was right. He really was going to really enjoy the adventure.

* * *

 _After getting coffee Steven and Cynthia stayed in touch every day. They shared many late night calls talking about research and their lives as a champion. One weekend, Steven had off and decided to go and surprise her in Sinnoh._

" _What are you up to right now?" Steven messaged the Sinnoh Champion. Cynthia had told him earlier she was escaping the league for the day as well and going to Floarama Town._

" _I'm at a flower shop visiting an old friend."_

 _Steven landed in Floarama Town and returned Skarmory to its pokeball. He walked down the path and started to look around. After a few minutes of searching, he saw a wave of blonde exit a flower shop. Steven watched her for a moment before picking a flower from the ground. He sneakily went up behind her. "What a funny coincidence it is to run into you here."_

 _Cynthia's eyes widened at the voice and snapped her head around. "Steven, what are you doing here?" She couldn't help but run over to him and wrap her arms around him. It was odd to think they had only met once before. With all their late night conversations she felt like she had known him for years. Cynthia had definitely not been expecting for him to visit her but it was a very nice surprise._

 _Steven's eyes widened at the embrace since it caught him off guard He knew he had fallen hard for this woman. Everything about her was enchanting. He wrapped his arms around her as well and chuckled. "I wasn't doing much this weekend and decided to come back to Sinnoh. I really enjoyed my last trip here."_

 _Cynthia pulled away and stared at him. She had told him she had been having a really stressful week and he had told her over the phone things would get better, but she wasn't expecting this. "Did you come all the way out here for me?"_

 _Steven felt a blush creep across his face."Well, you told me you'd been stressed and I thought you could use someone to cheer you up."_

 _Cynthia's heart melted as she watched him. The man was so sweet and charming. It was hard not to develop feelings for him. "Thank you, Steven. I really needed this."_

 _Steven nodded before he handed her the flower. "Here, I thought this flower was the second prettiest thing in this town."_

 _Cynthia blushed brightly at the comment. There had been occasional flirting but that was the most obvious one. Not that she minded. She smiled and tucked in in her hair. "Thank you."_

 _The two went for a walk along the river. Steven listened to what had been bothering Cynthia and gave her all the advice he could. After a bit, Cynthia sat down on a bench. "I still can't believe you came all this way."_

 _Steven smiled and sat next to her. "Trust me, it's just as nice for me as it is for you."_

 _Cynthia stared at him for a few moments before looking down at her feet. "You know, I think about you a lot Steven."_

 _Steven's heart pounded in his chest. The comment gave him hope. After a few moments, he finally was able to speak. "Really?"_

 _Cynthia blushed and nodded. "Everyday I find things that make me think, I can't wait to tell Steven about this or whenever I drink my coffee I think about how we talked in that coffeeshop until they closed."_

 _Steven smiled at the memory. They were so caught up in their conversation they hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The owner finally had to ask them to leave. "I think about you too. All the time."_

 _Cynthia's eyes widened before she turned back to him. "Really?"_

 _Steven nodded. "I always look forward to telling you things too. Talking to you is my favorite part of the day. You're kind of all I think about. Cynthia, I wish I could replay the day we met over and over again. Since it might be one of the best days of my life and I got to be with you in person."_

 _Cynthia listened to him and sighed. "Hoenn is pretty far, though… We probably won't be able to see each other often since we are both Champions. Is it even possible for us to be together?"_

 _Steven saw the pain in her eyes and felt his soul sink. He placed a gentle hand on hers. "No matter the distance I will always be there for you. I can't help wasn't just a coincidence meeting you that day. I know we haven't known each other long but I really like you and was hoping this could be the start of something wonderful."_

 _Cynthia knew she had been so much happier since she'd met him. She really wanted to be with him. Maybe this was worth shot. Cynthia smiled at him before pressing her lips against his._

 _Steven kissed her back feeling like he had just won the lottery. He knew this was going to be the start of something big.  
_

* * *

Steven walked down the path of the beautiful Floroama Town. The memories of the day came back causing him to think t about their sensational first kiss. Steven arrived at the bench where it happened and found another note.

 _The final destination is where we had the most important picnic of my life._

 _Cynthia_

Steven chuckled at the note. It was funny how something as simple as a picnic could make such a big difference in his life.

* * *

 _Steven had been visiting from Hoenn two months after they started dating. He was starting to find Sinnoh to be more of home to him than Hoenn. Being with Cynthia had brought him so much joy. The two were having a picnic in the grass next to Lake Valor. Cynthia had made them sandwiches and picked up deserts. It was very cute to watch how excited she was to see him again. Every day his feelings grew more and more for her. Whether it was her texting him cheesy jokes to brighten his day or them both falling asleep while they video chatted, he knew how he felt._

" _What a funny coincidence it is sunny the day you came to Sinnoh. I think the weather knew you were coming. It hasn't been this nice out in weeks," Cynthia joked before lying on her back to look at the sky._

 _Steven watched her and chuckled before lying next to her. "You tend to brighten the cloudiest of days for me so I guess we have that in common."_

 _Cynthia blushed at the comment before laughing. "You are way too charming for your own good," she teased as she moved onto her side to look at him._

 _Steven turned to her and grinned. "Yes well, it's not hard when you have such a beautiful girlfriend to be charming to."_

 _Cynthia rolled her eyes before pressing her lips against his. She kissed him deeply wanting to never forget how happy she was. The past few weeks had been amazing even though they hadn't seen each other often. One night, she had arrived home from the league to find fifty bouquets in her living room. She wasn't sure who helped Steven do this but she found it very sweet._

 _Steven kissed her back passionately. One day, he received a package from Cynthia. Inside, was a light blue stone and a note. She wrote that she had been missing him and saw the stone and thought of him. It was now his favorite stone he had. Steven knew what he had to do. He pulled away from her lips to stare at her. "I love you, Cynthia."_

 _Cynthia's eyes widened. The words caught her off guard since she wasn't used to love. Most guys seemed more interested in her getting with her rather than getting to know her. Love wasn't something she had experienced outside her family. After a few moments, she grinned at him as tears cascaded down her cheek. "I love you too Steven," she said before kissing him again._

 _Steven let out a sigh of relief against her lips._

* * *

"What a funny coincidence it is to run into you here," Steven said sarcastically when he saw the blonde in the same spot and another picnic set up.

"I certainly wasn't expecting you," Cynthia teased back before standing up. The cool breeze gently blew her blonde hair back as she gazed at her boyfriend.

Steven wrapped his arms around her waist. "This is incredible. I can't believe you did all of this."

Cynthia wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've been planning it for a couple weeks."

Steven pressed their foreheads together. "You know you didn't have to, you know? I know the conference is always exhausting. Valentine's Day is just another day. As long as we are together, I don't care if you do something so elaborate."

Cynthia smirked and rolled her eyes. "Then why is it that you get to these elaborate things on this ordinary day but I don't need to."

Steven chuckled. "Because I have a lot of free time now that I'm not a champion."

Cynthia smiled and shrugged. "I wanted to do it. You've always been so good to me. I wanted to show you that I really appreciate you."

Steven sighed. "Trust me I know. I'm the luckiest guy on the planet for being able to be with such a supportive and caring woman… which is why there's something I've got to ask." He kissed her softly before getting on one knee.

Cynthia's eyes widened and jaw dropped when he knelt down. "Steven…" Her heart was pounding as she realized what was going on.

"All those years ago I was searching for something in Sinnoh. I didn't know what it was until I touched the hand of the woman who would ultimately change my life. The thing about you is, there is never a dull moment. People thought I was settling down when I gave up being a champion and moved to Sinnoh to be with you. However, that isn't true at all. Since moving here I've gone on more adventures here with you than I ever did in Hoenn. I never thought I would be going on a romantic scavenger hunt today but like always you keep me on my toes." Steven took her hand in his and felt tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Cynthia being with you has made me the happiest man on the planet. I love you more than anything else on the planet," He said as his voice cracked. "Meeting you wasn't coincidental, it was fate."

Tears were falling down Cynthia's face as well as she squeezed his hand. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Steven had been trying to figure out the best time to do this for a couple months. Finally, he decided on Valentine's Day since he knew it would be the best present he could give and a great way to celebrate the conference being over. Steven took a deep breath as he gazed at his best friend. He couldn't stop the tears that were falling down his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box. He opened it up and revealed a beautiful ring. It was obviously custom made. The stone had tiny black and blue specks in it. He grinned up at her and sighed. "Cynthia… will you marry me?"

Cynthia was now bawling. She was never someone who cried when she was happy until she met Steven. She tried to calm herself down to answer but she couldn't believe how happy she was. They had grown so much over the years not just as a couple but as companions. They were each other's support systems and closest allies. Cynthia finally nodded and grinned back. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Steven let out a sigh of relief at her answer. He slipped the ring on her finger before standing up. He picked her up by her waist and kissed her passionately.

Cynthia wrapped her arms around him tight as they continued to kiss. She had to be dreaming. This was something out of a fairytale. After a few moments he put her down and they stared at each other. "You just had to one-up me once again on Valentine's Day," she teased before sniffling.

Steven couldn't stop grinning. "I'm sorry. I had no idea you had something planned. However, I'm not sorry I did it."

Cynthia chuckled and nodded. "Me neither." She stared at the ring on her finger with awe. "Steven this is beautiful."

Steven nodded and kept his arms around her waist. "I wanted it to be perfect. I spent a lot of time customizing it for you. You deserve the best."

Cynthia smiled and hugged him once again. "This is the best Valentine's Day ever. Thank you, my future husband," she said with such glee.

Steven grinned before kissing her forehead. "I agree, my future wife. Now, how about we eat this wonderful meal, on this beautiful day then spend the rest of the day in bed because I know you must be tired," he said pressing their foreheads together.

Cynthia let out a sigh of relief and nodded eagerly. "Arceus yes. I'm exhausted. I almost fell asleep waiting for you here."

Steven chuckled and kissed her softly. "That certainly would have been a sight to see."


	6. New Year

**Soooooo it's been forever. I know. In honor of the new year I was inspired to write a new short. I know it's similar to some of my other ones but hey I like the theme and had a good time writing it. Hopefully I'll write some more in the future. Happy New Year everyone.**

* * *

Steven had spent most of the day exploring a nearby cave, "Nice work today Metagross," he said returning him to his pokeball. He started to head back to his secluded home away from the glitz and glamor. Steven decided nine months ago to give it all up. He bought a small home hidden away from any big city. Tonight he intended to read a book with the fireplace lit however when all his lights were on he knew something was wrong.

Steven slowly creeped into his home, with his hand on his pokeball. He was ready to battle an intruder... when he saw catering and decorations set up, a bartender at his bar, and of course Wallace pacing back and forth. "What the hell…."

Wallace scanned Steven's appearance and shook his head. "Steven Stone, where on earth have you been? People will be here in an hour and you are completely covered in dirt."

Steven's body tensed up. "People… Wallace what did you do?"

Wallace sighed and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "You were so stubborn about spending New Year's Eve here away from everyone... so I decided to bring the party to you." He gestured at the budding party around him.

Steven's jaw dropped. This was his worst nightmare. He barely even remembered it was New Year's Eve and he liked it that way. "Wallace you know that's not what I meant."

Wallace rolled his eyes and crossed his arms."Calm down before you get your panties in a twist I only invited fifty people…one-hundred at most."

Steven felt faint. He grabbed the back of a chair for support. "Have you ever considered what I actually wanted to do tonight."

Wallace sighed at his friend's frustration. "Of course but I also considered what was actually good for you. I have been your sole visitor for nine months. Nine months. That isn't healthy Steven."

Steven saw that this wasn't just Wallace wanting to throw a party if it had, he would have invited one thousand people and done it in a much more convenient location. Wallace was his closest friend and despite his antics, he knew he was considering his best interests. "What should I wear?"

Wallace jumped and clapped. "A suit will work just fine," he cheered shushing Steven upstairs. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun."

Steven sighed and head to get a shower. Wallace was right he was completely covered in dirt. He tried not to hide in the shower for the entire night (mostly because he feared Wallace would drag him out to a hundred people without a chance to change). He put on a suit and his signature scarf before gelling his hair. Anything less would require him to go right back upstairs. He knew how Wallace operated like the back of his hand.

Steven lingered downstairs and somehow his house was even more transformed. More decorations and tons of food. Wallace grinned at him. "It has been far too long since I have seen you like this." Most the time Steven had been wearing jeans and appropriate clothes for exploring.

Steven sighed and nodded. "Yeah yeah. Only had to do it against my will."

Wallace rolled his eyes and smirked before handing Steven a drink. "You'll thank me for this later."

Steven took a long sip before his eyes landed back on Wallace. "So I'm assuming no one I should be concerned about is coming?"

Wallace shook his head. He knew he had to ease his friend into a social life again. He only invited close friends. Some suitable ladies for his best friend, of course. He had his bet on one of them but he obviously would let fate have its course. "You know I have your best interests at hand."

Steven nodded before finishing up the drink. "I'm getting something stronger."

The first group to arrive was his longtime colleagues at the Pokemon league. Of course they berated him about his disappearance and lack of communication. Although he didn't like having to defend his decision it was good to see them.

He was genuinely enjoying himself but still very nervous. He had always put up a good front but he was just a shy little boy deep down. Steven was enjoying a conversation with Winona who he was quite surprised to see given his best friend and her's previous relationship. "Winona I feel like it's been forever."

Winona chuckled as she held a glass of wine in her hand. "Steven you went into hiding for nine months."

Steven chuckled and nodded. "That's fair but before that. How are things with you and…" He trailed off knowing she'd understand who he meant.

Winona smiled. "Well… we reconnected a couple months ago. We are taking it slow but we have both worked out a lot of issues."

Steven wanted to smirk because he knew Wallace had been happier and livelier than normal, but instead, he smiled genuinely. "That's amazing. I'm so happy to hear that. Wallace is a good guy. One of best I know. I know you'll really make him happy."

* * *

Diantha dragged Cynthia to the door. "Come on Cynthia. We did not travel all this way for you to back out now. Besides he wouldn't have invited you if he hadn't wanted to see you."

Cynthia's heels dug into the ground. She had on a black and gold cocktail dress that really complimented her body. "You and I both damn well know it was Wallace who invited me."

Diantha paused and nodded. "Okay fair but it'll be good for Steven. It's not like anything bad happened between you too."

Cynthia sighed. "Yeah well, it's not like anything at all happened between us… for nine months."

Diantha put her hands on his shoulder. "Look no one is thrilled with what he did but he had his reasons. He is mature in so many ways but he's also just a scared little boy. Plus I made a bet that something would happen and I really want you to win."

Cynthia glared. "Diantha! I have been seeing someone lately."

Diantha rolled her eyes. "You and I both know that's not serious. He didn't even try to make plans with you tonight. Stop selling yourself short."

Cynthia sighed. "So what you are saying is I should sell myself for a scared little boy," she said in front of the door with her hands on her hips.

Diantha opened the door and pushed her in. "Well when you act like a scared little girl, I'd say so."

Cynthia stumbled in the party and looked around. This is where Steven had been living. It wasn't bad at all. It was decently sized for one person. She was most surprised to see all the people. This seemed very unlike him. Then again this was a hundred percent arranged by Wallace so she knew this wasn't him.

* * *

Steven had been getting another drink when he caught a surprising face out of the corner of his eyes. Cynthia the champion of Sinnoh looking absolutely stunning. They had been decent friends before he left his position though he had always wanted to be more. Whenever they had a champion meeting he'd use some of his Steven Stone charm on her. It took her a little for her to realize he wasn't just some creep but actually genuinely. It never escalated because of their positions and the distance (at least that's what he told himself) but something definitely had been budding before he left. Steven would be lying if he said he hadn't been keeping up with her in the tabloids. The good and the bad. He was very impressed with her recent research and wanted to reach out but it never felt right. He also saw that she and Alder had something going on. The thought made his blood boil despite Steven himself had no right to control her actions. He was actually surprised to not see him with her tonight.

Steven asked the bartender for a second drink remembering how she enjoyed a classic rum and coke. He took a deep breath and walked over to her. Be smooth. Charming. This is your chance. You are better now. "Um… hi…" He managed to get out. Um hi? That's the best you can do.

Cynthia had noticed him coming over and looked to Diantha for support but she had already abandoned her wanting to give them space. She had to act quickly so she decided to act like she was admiring one of the paintings on the wall. He looked amazing for someone who had been hidden away for nine months. When he finally reached her she was surprised by his greeting. She gave him a look and chuckled. "Um hi to you too."

Steven mentally hit himself over… and over… and over again. Get yourself together. He stood up taller and gave a Steven smile. "Sorry what I meant to say was you look elegant tonight and I'm genuinely thrilled you made the trip from Sinnoh to come." He offered her the drink.

Cynthia smirked at the familiar man. She pretended to hesitantly reach for the drink. "You know I was taught not to accept drinks from strangers," She teased getting a dig in there.

There was that spunk like no other. The one that could criticize but make him laugh. He scrunched up his face a bit but couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay yes, I deserved that. I know my departure was a little-"

"Abrupt, discreet, some might say selfish not to tell anyone about," Cynthia said before taking a sip of her drink all while still having that playful smirk on her face.

Steven bit his lip. She just kept getting those daggers in. "Okay I deserved that too but I needed to grow as a person. I wasn't cut out for the spotlight. However, I shouldn't have gone about it in such a selfish manner. So with that attempt of an explanation. I'm very sorry."

Cynthia smirk softened. The man knew how to get her going. "We are all good Steven… as long as you tell me what you have been up to."

Steven smiled and nodded. "Follow me." He said offering her an arm.

Cynthia was hesitant but trusted him to take it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Diantha and Wallace almost jumping for joy. She snapped her head around quickly trying to hide her blush.

Steven opened the door to his study. There was a library as well as tables filled with stones. "The champion life became too much for me. My passions grew elsewhere so I decided to dedicate myself to research."

Cynthia looked around with awe. It wasn't huge but for a personal library, it was impressive. The new stones he had uncovered were certainly exciting as well. "This is… This is remarkable Steven." That's when she saw a familiar book laying out. "You bought it," she almost whispered. It was her recent published studies. This had only come out a month prior.

Steven raised an eyebrow before realizing what she was talking about. He blushed slightly. "Of course I mean you have always been one of the most intelligent people I know. Plus your writing style is extremely enticing."

Cynthia cheeks turned red. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you." Steven freaking Stone. How did he always get her heart racing like a god damn school girl?

Steven smiled before dusting off a stone to distract himself from her vision. "So other than the accomplishment of your new book, anything else exciting happening in your life?" He wanted to hear it from her.

Cynthia knew he knew. He was smooth but Steven acted like he wasn't like Wallace in any way but he had certainly picked up the trait of ulterior motives. "Well... my family is doing well. I have been very busy as Sinnoh Champion but luckily it's been pretty peaceful overall. Oh, and I went on a few dates with Alder." She said abruptly and watched him choke on his drink.

Poor Steven. He was just finding his charm back too. He nodded slowly. "I see…" He should be supportive right? She accepted him back as a friend. "I must say I am surprised but if he makes you happy then I must say please be safe, don't you dare let him hurt you but I am happy you have found someone." There that sounded decent.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "First of all a couple dates doesn't mean anything. In fact I haven't heard from him in an over a week. Second of all, I don't know why you are getting jealous."

Steven huffed. "I'm not jealous Cynthia. In fact, I wished you well." He realized his glass was empty at a very inconvenient time. Why couldn't she just let this go?

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "That's really convincing."

Steven shook his head and finally made eye contact. "What do you want me to say? That I'm not jealous? That I feel like I should have made more of an effort. Of course, I wish I had! It was idiotic for me to cower away from a chance with you. Do I think he's good for you? Absolutely not! But I left and I'm trying, trying so hard to be mature about this cause Arceus forbid I push you away again!" Well, that was beyond embarrassing. Steven was never the type to make scenes. "I think I better excuse myself." with that Steven exited his study with his head down.

Cynthia was stunned. She had rarely seen the man raise his voice. She, of course, didn't appreciate the yelling but what he said wasn't out of line. She knew she had pushed him to this place which wasn't right since this event was in a lot of ways to support his decision.

Steven reached over the bar for a bottle of jack ignoring the concerned look from Wallace. He went outside to the porch for some air and let the cool breeze hit his face before he took a swig from the bottle.

Cynthia looked around the party but had no luck. Before she could find him she ran into Wallace. "Look the guy has made some mistakes but by no means is he a bad guy. I really don't like seeing him hurt and that's the feeling I was getting from him. This party is very hard for him and I just reallllllly want him to have a good time. This isn't a threat but-"

Cynthia huffed. "Wallace I'm looking for him and trying to fix this. Where is he?" Wallace stopped rambling and pointed to the porch. She thanked him before opening the sliding door. She saw Steven sitting on the stoop staring intently at the scenery in front of him. "You're an idiot," she muttered sitting down beside him.

Steven didn't look over. "What else is new," he muttered back. He figured Wallace forced her out here.

Cynthia sighed. "But Arceus knows so am I." She nudged his shoulder with her own playfully. "I pushed you. I thought your overreaction would validate what I already know. The whole Alder thing isn't real and is a waste of time. I shouldn't have gotten you involved."

Steven glanced over at her and shrugged. "I was being nosey. Plus I already knew something was going on."

Cynthia chuckled, "I know you did." She stared up at the sky. "I can see why you like it here. You can actually see the stars at night here."

Steven's lips curved slightly. "Yeah, I've seen quite a few comets as well. I know this place is very isolating but I've gotten to learn a lot from it."

Cynthia nodded. "I know… Just wished you would have picked up the phone. I would have gotten it."

Steven looked back at her. "I know you would have. Doesn't mean I know the whole thing didn't make me look like a silly selfish child."

Cynthia chuckled. "Everyone gets that way. Believe me."

Steven sighed. "So you really don't think it's serious between you two."

Cynthia sighed and shook her head. "To be honest I always knew it wasn't. I was bored and he was there. If a certain blue-haired dreamboat would have stayed around or at least reached out I would say there could have been something serious."

Steven rolled his eyes at the nickname but scrunched his face slightly. "So is that blue-haired dreamboat too late? Because he really likes the beautiful spunky blonde powerhouse."

Cynthia smiled softly. "He's lucky she is very forgiving." She reached over and took a sip of jack. "But I can't promise anything right away. I've got to trust you again Steven. I hope you understand."

Steven watched her and nodded. "Of course. I respect that. This time I'll chase you. I promise."

Cynthia smiled. "Oh, you better."

Wallace smiled at the two of them outside before giving a thumbs up to Diantha. People started chanting down from ten as the year started to close.

When they reached one. Cynthia was the first to move because she was going to let herself be happy. She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a deep kiss.

Steven blushed brightly and kissed her back. Okay, he was clueless but he was going to kiss her at midnight no matter what but even so he was just happy it happened. They pulled away slightly and pushed their foreheads together. "I guess the chasing starts now right."

Cynthia chuckled. "Oh yeah. That was your one freebie. You have to earn the rest this new year."

Steven smirked. "It's a deal."


	7. Brave

**Look at me go! Another short! Thanks for the welcoming feedback. It really means a lot to me. This one is probably going to be a two parter so I hope you enjoy.**

Cynthia grumbled to herself as she tried to open a jar of jam. She was having great difficulty because she had broken her arm when she was helping out a burning nearby factory. Although her arm hurt she was determined to be independent. She was fine on her own... so fine…. just couldn't open a stupid jar. Something else that was stupid was the Sinnoh Elite Four making her rest because of the accident. She didn't understand why since she was fine. These things happen. (Did she mention she was fine.) She let out a groan of frustration when there was a knock at her door. She sighed and headed over to it. "I'll be back for you," she growled while glancing back at the jam that was still taunting her. She opened the door and what she saw was a complete surprise. The Hoenn champion himself Steven Stone. They were very good friends but she had not been expecting a visit. However, despite the shock she grinned widely. "Steven! What are you doing here!"

In his mind, Steven felt his heart break at the sight of her bruised and broken up. Not only did she have a broken arm, her body was bruised and she had stitches on her forehead. However, he has done reckless things for his region as well and knows the feeling that sometimes these things happen. He hated how everyone made him rest when he got hurt so he was sure this was driving her nuts as well. As much as he wanted her to heal and get better, he wasn't going to treat her like a child. "Yeah I had a last minute meeting I had to attend to so I wanted to stop by." That was a lie. He flew from Hoenn to see if she was okay.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. This felt weird. Steven had surprised her for her birthday once but that's about it. Even with last minute stuff, he'd always call beforehand. Nonetheless, she was very ecstatic to see him. She pulled him into a hug with her good arm. "Well, you got me! I am very surprised. I can't believe you are here."

Steven hugged her back closely. He wanted to keep her safe in his arms for the rest of time but he knew Cynthia was so independent and strong that would never happen and he respected her for it. He gazed down at her and smiled. "Good I'm glad. I'd hate for you to want me to turn right around."

Cynthia grinned and ushered him in. "Can I get you anything?"

Steven shook his head and put his bag down by the door. "No, I'm good. Cynthia, you don't have to host me. Let's just catch up." Please sit down and relax. Please let me take care of you. Please stop overstraining yourself.

Cynthia shrugged and sat down on the couch. She couldn't believe he was actually here. This was great. She was honestly a little surprised he wasn't freaking out about the injury but she certainly wasn't complaining. It was very refreshing. She hated "So what kind of business did you have here?"

Steven sat next to her on the couch. "Devon Corp stuff. Nothing interesting. Just helping out my father with some things."

Cynthia nodded. "How long are you here?" She hoped a couple days. Usually, she could convince him to not get a hotel and just sleep on her couch. They were like kids having sleepovers with how late they would stay up talking.

"I'm here for four days," Steven smiled. He wanted to stay here in case she needed anything.

Cynthia's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! I will get the couch ready and everything."

Steven pretended to protest and shook his head. "Now Cynthia I'd hate to be a burden. There is actually a hotel across the street. Sometimes I think you forget that thing exists."

Cynthia shook her head. "Nonsense you will stay here. This is for my sake I hope you know."

Steven faked a sigh. "Fine but at least let me make the couch. You're already doing enough for me."

Cynthia smiled and nodded. "Okay sounds like a deal." Her stomach growled. Before he had arrived Cynthia had been being tortured by the jam for like a half hour.

Steven perked his head up. "Are you hungry? I can make you something?" He was a little worried that would be too obvious that he wanted her to relax. "You know since I'm a pretty good cook or we could always order something?

Cynthia glanced at the jam, then at Steven. This was all starting to piece together. The sudden visit, the subtle things he was trying to help with. "Steven why are you here?"

Steven tensed slightly. Crap "I told you Devon-"

"The real reason," Cynthia said firmly crossing her arms.

Steven stared for a moment before sighing. "When I saw the news about the fire… I have never been more terrified in my entire life. The thought of losing you made me completely ill."

Cynthia frowned deeply. "That's pretty hypocritical. You've been in accidents whether it's from protecting your region, exploring a cave. Why is it that when I get hurt everyone thinks I can't handle myself!"

Steven nodded. "I know. Trust me. I'm not here to tell you to change your lifestyle. I know I can't do it and I wouldn't want to. You are amazing at what you do. You are strong, passionate, and brave… that doesn't mean I was terrified I had lost you." Steven sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not here to babysit, I'm here to make sure you let yourself heal so you can keep doing what you love. Manoeuvring with one arm is not easy. Trust me I know after I broke mine." He offered a gentle smile praying she'd let him help.

Cynthia saw the concern and understanding in his eyes. No one understood her the way Steven did. She knew he just wanted to help but wouldn't demean her for it and that meant a lot to her. Why was he so special? Sometimes she had such strong feelings for him she didn't know what to do with them. Finally she nodded. "Okay. Let's just order pizza. I don't even think you could open that jar of jam with two good arms. I think it's cursed."

Steven chuckled, even though he was a little puzzlzed about whatever she meant by this jam but nodded. "Of course." He called their usual pizza place and ordered an everything pizza which was her favorite. Steven returned to her and smiled. "It's all ordered. Shouldn't be too long."

Cynthia nodded but remained quiet. She was really happy he was there but the whole thing with the accident had been pretty rough and she hated not being able to work. Cynthia wasn't upset with him now but rather herself.

Steven saw right through the smile she was putting on. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You know, just because you got hurt doesn't mean you aren't kickass and amazing."

Cynthia sighed and looked down. "I just don't like not being able to work and do things because I feel like I let everyone down. I'm supposed to be this great big symbol of strength in Sinnoh but I couldn't even handle a little fire."

Steven frowned and faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders so she'd look at him. "You did not let anyone down. In fact, you saved them. People have nothing but respect for you. I have nothing but respect for you. What you did was incredible. You saved all those people. Okay? You are a hero Cynthia. An injury isn't going to change that."

Cynthia stared into his kind eyes and nodded. His respect meant so much to her. Since he had become a champion before her, she always felt like he had it all figured out but she started to realize that wasn't true. They were peers that brought each other up together. She deserved to be where she was. Honestly, she didn't know what she'd do without him. "Thanks, Steven. I needed to hear that." There was such a strong bond between them and the tension right now was obvious. She desperately wanted to do something about it but was too scared.

Steven's lips curled up and his heart skipped a beat. He was so head-over-heels for this woman. He kept denying it, not only to himself, but to everyone who was constantly pestering him about it. Especially Wallace. All he wanted to do right now was tell her how he felt. How when she smiled and crinkled her nose would have him mesmerized for weeks. How every time she spoke about history he found himself thinking more critically and learning so much from her. How the way she was so passionate about her region made him want to be a better man. However now wasn't the time. One, he doubted she felt the same way and two, he didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of her since she was injured and he was helping her out. Before he could speak again the doorbell rang. "That's probably the pizza. I'll go get it." Steven pulled away and went to the door wishing he was as brave as she was to do what he really wanted to.


	8. The Breakup

**It's been a while. I felt like writing and it's kind of a sad one. Just know you've been warned.**

* * *

It had been a month since Steven and Cynthia broke up and to Wallace and Diantha it was completely idiotic, Since then Steven had become a complete hermit, rarely left his bed, and barely ate. Cynthia consumed herself in work, wasn't sleeping, and had gotten into an accident where she passed out at the gym. Diantha and Wallace couldn't bear to watch them destroy themselves any longer. That is why they were going to force them to talk.

Wallace was pacing back and forth as Steven sat at the conference table of a building in Veilstone City. In order to get him there, Wallace made up this whole elaborate story where he was planning on starting a business and hate a meeting with two possible investors. He begged Steven to come because of his knowledge from Devon Corp. He also convinced Steven to leave his Pokemon at a daycare for the day in case he tried to use them to escape. In all honesty, it was a pretty bad lie but Steven was a good friend and sometimes pretty gullible.

Steven rubbed his face with both his hands, as he stared at the mahogany table almost in a daze. Wallace had forced Steven that morning to look presentable. His classic suit was a bit large on him because of all the weight he had been losing. He really didn't want to be there and be social but he owed Wallace. If it weren't for his now very frequent check-ins Steven would take care of his pokemon for the day and that's about it. "I really don't know how much help I'm going to honestly be. I barely understand what it is you are selling."

Wallace checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time. _Where the are hell they?_ "Steven you are a powerful name and a pretty face. That's all I need," he retorted.

Steven rolled his eyes and fumbled with the sleeves of his jacket. "Glad that's all I am to you."

* * *

Diantha felt her phone buzz practically every minute. She didn't want to look because she was worried Cynthia might see the messages. Diantha had told Cynthia that the two of them were going to be guest speakers at an outreach event targeted toward young female trainers.

Cynthia would have suspected something was up but anything beat being at home. She was living off of distractions because any calm moment caused her to think about him. Whenever she tried to sleep she would have dreams of Steven. Sometimes they would be about happy memories and sometimes they'd be about the fight. Either way, she tried to just not sleep in general so she could avoid it. Cynthia had her hands shoved in her pockets as tried to come up with something inspirational she could tell the young girls at the event. "So like am I going to have to do a speech or is this a Q&A kind of thing? Who is even organizing this event?"

Diantha bit her lip. "To be honest I'm not quite sure what's in store. It's a favor to a friend so I'm sure we'll find out as soon as we get there," she lied. When Cynthia had looked away she quickly texted Wallace they were almost there. Diantha had also managed to convince Cynthia not to bring her pokemon that way neither could use them to escape.

* * *

Wallace saw the text and knew the time had come. "I'm going to get some water," He said before almost sprinting out of one end of the room.

Steven cocked his head. "Wallace aren't they going to be here-" The door closed behind him. "Soon." Little did Steven know Wallace had just locked the door behind him. Wallace pressed his forehead against the closed door and took a deep breath. "I hope this works," He whispered before going down the hallway.

* * *

Diantha stood in front of a door. "After you, I want to make a grand entrance."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and turned the handle on the door. "Whatever," she muttered before walked into what appeared to be an empty conference room. She had yet to notice her ex-boyfriend in the room with her. "What the?" All of a sudden the door was slammed behind her. She turned back around and started frantically jiggling the door handle. "Diantha! What the hell is going on?!"

Steven's eyes widened when he witnessed Cynthia get locked in the same room as him. _No. This was not happening._ His heart started racing in his chest. There she was. The person that he could not stop thinking about every day. Right then and there he felt upset, confused, scared, mad, and still madly in love with her. Steven couldn't help but notice how exhausted she looked. Her eyes were red with bags underneath them. Also he thought he saw a cut on her cheek. Where had that come from? "Wallace you son of a bitch," he groaned before placing his head facedown on the table.

Cynthia's head snapped at that voice. Her stomach dropped. "You've got to be kidding me." She couldn't believe this was a setup and she fell for it. She had tried so hard to mask emotions since the breakup. All of that gone with him in the room. Cynthia couldn't help but stare at him. He looked completely different. Steven's jawline was extremely sharp almost as if he was just a skeleton, he was swimming in his jacket, and his already fair skin tone looked sickly.

"We had no choice. You are both miserable without each other," Diantha voice came from a speaker in the corner of the room.

Cynthia faked a laugh before proceeding to bang on the door even harder. "That wasn't your choice to make."

"You're not leaving until you guys talk to each other. It's for your own good," Wallace's voice said from the speaker.

"I can't do this," Steven groaned still face down on the table. The woman he still loved was trying to break down a door to not be in the same room with him. This was absolutely devastating. Steven just wanted to disappear. He thought Wallace was just trying to get him interested in new things. He even played along because agreed he needed a distraction.

The speaker was silent.

Cynthia huffed and proceeded to bang and scream out for the two traitors. "Diantha! Wallace! Anyone! Let us out! This is so messed up!"

Wallace and Diantha watched through the two way mirror in a separate room. Wallace frowned watching how lifeless his best friend was. "Do you think Steven can handle this I mean just look at him? He looks miserable and this might just make things worse."

Diantha furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Wallace. "You know he needs this. It's the only way they will get themselves together. Plus just because she is acting as somber as he is doesn't mean Cynthia isn't just as broken. She keeps working and working. Refusing to show any emotions. I don't know if I can handle another accident, Wallace."

All of the banging along with her lack of energy caused Cynthia's head to feel dizzy. She turned around and leaned against the door. Her eyes landed on her ex-boyfriend who had yet to lift his head up. This was so unlike him. She expected him to try to escape just as much as she was if not more. Steven always had so much energy searching for solutions but now he looked like he had just given up. "Are you going to help me out or not? Sitting around isn't going to do anything. I don't want to be here either you know."

Steven swallowed hard at the coldness. "Trust me I know you don't want to be here," he muttered as he stood up. One of the first things he noticed about the conference room when he arrived was that there was a two-way mirror. He knew that's where Diantha and Wallace would be. Steven stared directly into the mirror. He knew his best friend and he knew he could get through to him to let him out. "Wallace clearly this isn't going to work. If you really cared about me you'd let us out. I can't do this. It's just making things worse."

Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows as she watched him. He was right. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed That was a two-way mirror. How did he always know everything before she did?

Behind the mirror, Wallace was biting his fist watching Steven plead to him. A painful groan started escaping Wallace's mouth. All he wanted was what was best for Steven. Over the past couple of months, he had seen Steven at such lows putting him in more pain felt awful.

Diantha stared daggers into him. "Stay strong. Wallace. Don't give in."

Steven sighed and put his hand on the glass. "This trap is hurting me more than before. I can get better in other ways on my own terms. Please just let us out. For the sake of my own mental health." Even Steven couldn't tell if he was just overexaggerating to get out or everything he said came from some level of truth.

At this point, Diantha was fighting off Wallace from pressing the unlock button. "No! Wallace, they need to talk." As she continued blocking Wallace from the unlock button she pressed the microphone button. "Just talk already! Cynthia, why don't you tell Steven how you've been overworking yourself to the point where you passed out from exhaustion?"

Steven's eyes widened and lifted his head from that glass to stare at her. "Accident?" Cynthia had always consumed herself with work. It was one of the things he loved about her was how committed she was. However, overdoing it must explain why she had a cut under her eye. Bewilderment filled his face as he felt guilty for causing her to hurt herself so badly.

Cynthia shot daggers in the direction of Diantha. That was none of his business. She hadn't even wanted to tell Diantha but the Elite Four ratted her out because they thought she'd be able to knock some sense into her.

Wallace continued to try and reach for the unlock button. "Just let him out Diantha! He's a fragile soul."

Diantha had to once again push Wallace away from the controls and pressed the mic button once again. "And Steven why don't you tell Cynthia how you literally haven't left your apartment in over a month and Wallace has to practically force you to eat every day."

Cynthia's heart dropped. She had always understood Steven's anxiety when it came to being around people. Sometimes the pressures of the media, his father's business, is his celebratory status resulted in him hiding away at home or a cave to get away. But a month and a half inside is worrisome. Also, why wasn't he eating? "Steven?"

Steven gritted his teeth and looked down at his feet. He wasn't proud of how he had been handling the breakup. Steven just couldn't get over that he had lost her. Life without her made him miserable. So he was barely living.

Wallace had stopped fighting Diantha and stood there staring at Steven. When Wallace found out about the breakup he immediately flew out to see Steven. Seeing his state he had to take time off from his own Champion position to take care of him. Wallace didn't even think twice about it because if he was in that position he knew Steven would do the same for him.

Diantha sighed and looked down trying to hide her own emotions. "Guys quit being childish and talk it out."

Cynthia bit her lip and sat down across the table from the seat he was previously sitting in. They had to talk. For everybody's sake.

Steven swallowed hard and sat back down. He couldn't stop thinking about how Cynthia was being self-destructive and how much he was probably hurting all his loved ones by giving up. "Just say what you want to say," he whispered.

Cynthia looked at the ceiling. "I wanted to keep busy. I didn't like thinking about what happened because it hurt so much. It was torturing me so instead I work over time. I can't sleep because my dreams are always about you. So I don't sleep. Eventually, one day when I was at the gym I passed out and landed face down on the elliptical."

"Cynthia," Steven breathed out shaking his head. Losing her as his girlfriend was extremely painful but the thought of something happening to her hurt even more. "Please tell me you got checked out."

Cynthia nodded and subconsciously ran her finger against the healing scar on her cheek. "It's checked out. It's healing. They are forcing me to not work as much."

Steven sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe this was his Cynthia. "I see…"

"What about you?" Cynthia asked staring at him.

Steven took a deep breath and shrugged softly. "You know my tendency to isolate when things go wrong… I would take care of my Pokemon then not leave my bed," Steven revealed feeling pretty ashamed of himself. He glanced at the two-way mirror. "I really took a lot out of Wallace and I know it hurt him a lot. I just couldn't bring myself to forgive myself for losing you."

Wallace felt tears run down his face. Memories of him having to break down his best friend's door to get him to beg him to do something haunted him. Steven had always been there for him and seeing him at his lowest was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.

Cynthia's own eyes started to water up. "Steven…" He was such a good loving person. She really cared so much about him. If anything would have happened to him she'd never forgiven herself.

Steven shook his head. It was time to swallow his pride and move past previous fights. "Cynthia, I hate how I made you feel like you weren't capable of taking care of yourself. I was overly protective and a know it all."

Cynthia looked away as tears slid down her face. "No, you weren't. I pushed you away because I was overwhelmed with not knowing what to do at work and… I knew I would never be as good a champion as you."

Steven's brows furrowed at her statement. "That's just not true. You're ten times the champion I ever was. You actually kept the position. I abandoned it. Besides you are so much stronger than I'll ever be."

Cynthia wiped her eyes trying to prevent any more tears from coming out but she was unable to stop them. "Yeah, but you had years of experience over me… Whenever I had issues you knew the solution when I didn't. I envied that. I just wanted that confidence and wisdom."

Steven sighed and closed his eyes. "I just really wanted to help. It killed me to see you struggling the way you were. I'm sorry I came across as cocky because of it." He stood up and walked over to her and shakily placed a hand on her cheek hoping she would let him. Steven gently wiped away one of her tears. "I am so unbelievably crazy for you. I want to be better for you." He gently traced his finger beneath her cut.

Cynthia accepted the hand on her face and pressed their forehead's together. "I want you to help. I just can't take it as personally. Not everything is a competition. It certainly shouldn't be a competition with you of all people." She closed her eyes feeling a moment of peace for the first time in a while. "I really missed you."

Steven smiled not noticing he was tearing up himself. "I missed you too, so much."

Cynthia exhaled. "Can we take this slow?"

Steven nodded. "Slow works for me. I think I'm gonna need some time to adjust back to a normal person again."

Wallace at this point was crying and hugging Diantha. "We did it! We did it!"

Diantha herself was trying to hide the face she tearing up as well.

Cynthia chuckled and nodded. "I agree." She stroked his cheek. "No more not eating and you definitely need some sun."

Steven ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Agreed. I promise to build up my appetite and leave my house all the time. No more hiding." He looked her over. "And the constant working. You desperately need sleep and relaxation okay?"

Cynthia nodded. "Sleep and relaxation," she agreed. She stared into his grey eyes and saw the man she loved so much. Cynthia leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

"I needed this so badly," Wallace cried into the microphone.

Steven and Cynthia didn't even acknowledge Wallace through the speaker or either one behind the mirror. All they cared about was being with each other and doing this relationship right this time. They deepened their kiss in the middle of the now unlocked conference room.


	9. A Storm Away

**I've been writing these a lot on the side I just need to finish them. Long live this couple. Thanks for those still reading these.**

* * *

Steven was whistling while he and his pokémon cleaned his home in Hoenn. His current mission of washing and drying dishes with Aargon had just been completed. "Thank you so much, buddy." He grinned and waved to his trusty companion Metagross outside. Next mission was to clean the windows. "Hey, Metagross can you give me a lift?" Steven asked holding a bucket of water and a sponge.

They had spent the entire morning cleaning his home. Excitement filled Steven's body as well as his pokémon's. They loved the happiness of their master along with his partner and her pokémon. Long distance was hard on Cynthia and Steven. Although both at times questioned the practicality of it they were determined to make it work. They were finally seeing each other for the first time in weeks and he wanted everything to be perfect for this visit.

Steven was just about done cleaning the windows when he started feeling drops of water hit his shoulder. "Metagross let's go inside."

Metagross floated down and let Steven off of him. Steven opened the door and let him into his home.

A loud crackle of thunder shook the house causing all his pokémon to jump. Steven swallowed hard and checked his watch. Cynthia's flight was in about an hour. _Please don't let there be a storm._ A delay would be upsetting, to say the least. He knew if Cynthia called him it'd be bad news so he decided to busy himself with treating his pokémon to some pokéblocks for all their hard work. "You guys were amazing today. I appreciate your companionship so much."

Steven watched his pokémon gleefully eat the treats when the dreaded noise arose.

 _Ring ring_

Steven's heart sunk into his stomach as he slowly pulled out his phone and saw it was Cynthia. He went to the other room and leaned his back against the wall before answering."Weather?"

Cynthia sighed into the phone. "Weather."

Steven really tried to hide his disappointment from her. After all the effort she put into coming in the first place was already so incredibly meaningful already. All he wanted was to be with her. Their champion duties just made it so difficult. "I'm sorry. Did they tell you how long the delay might be?"

"Not yet but they said it's pretty bad though. I heard someone say that it might be a tropical storm."

Steven nodded glumly. "I see. Well, your safety is most important so I'm glad they aren't risking it."

"I know you're disappointed, Steven. It's okay to be. I am too. I was really looking forward to seeing you."

Steven sighed. "We'll figure something out. Let's not lose hope. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

An hour later Cynthia stepped out of her taxi and opened up her umbrella. A bright grin painted her face when she finally saw Steven's home. Of course, Cynthia had seen the weather report the day before and changed her flight. She just didn't tell her boyfriend because she wanted to surprise him. Cynthia excitedly rang the doorbell and waited for Steven's reaction. However, after a few minutes, there was no answer. Cynthia peaked through the window and saw Metagross floating around. She waved and Metagross came over before telepathically opened the door.

Steven's oldest pokemon floated around her excitedly.

Cynthia laughed and put a hand on it. "Long time no see Metagross! I've missed you! Where is Steven?"

Metagross floated back inside to Steven's back door. Outside was Steven sitting completely unprotected from the lightning storm on his porch steps. He was thoroughly drenched as he just watched the sky light up in front of him.

Cynthia stared at him for a moment and sighed. "That big dumb idiot." She slid open door quietly and opened up her umbrella for Steven. The thunder was too loud for him to hear her coming. Cynthia walked over to her boyfriend and put the umbrella over his head.

After the news, Steven pretty much gave up on the day. He just sat watching the lightning strike. Maybe she'd be able to come tomorrow? Maybe she wouldn't. Even if she did come later Cynthia was only able to visit for a couple days and it might not even be worth the hassle. What if they were holding onto something that would never work out? They tried to talk almost every day and it never grew dull but was it was just so hard with how busy they both were.

Steven's deep thoughts were interrupted when all of a sudden, the rain stopped hitting him despite everything else around him still getting soaked. His head snapped up and his eyes widened when he saw Cynthia holding an umbrella above him.

Cynthia laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think I would let something get in the way of seeing you? A tropical storm has nothing on us." She extended her hand to help him up. Cynthia really hoped he wasn't going to catch a cold from this.

Steven felt beautiflies in his stomach at the sight of her. He couldn't believe she even doubted her. Cynthia was one of the few people that got to see the real him. The person who couldn't hide emotions about the ones he loved. He truly knew they'd do anything for each other. Finally, Steven accepted her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "You big dumb idiot, did you fly in the storm? Something could have happened. Arceus I've missed you so much."

Cynthia nuzzled into his neck while her free arm wrapped around him. She didn't care how wet he was. The fact that they were together was all that mattered. "I checked the weather reports earlier and changed my flights. I thought I'd surprise you. Looks like you didn't take it too well though."

Steven chuckled. "I just got caught up watching the storm. The thought of you not coming kind of consumed me." Steven let his lips rest a kiss against her forehead. " I love you. I love you so much, Cynthia. Thank you so much for coming."

Cynthia gently tilted his chin down and kissed him on the lips passionately. "I love you too. Now let's go inside you look like a wet poochyena."

Steven smirked and nodded leading her inside with his arm around her waist.

"Steven you are the most ridiculous person I know. Sulking outside during a tropical storm. That's the most emo thing I've ever heard," Cynthia teased poking his side. "Even from you."

When they got inside Steven smirked. "Oh was it emo? I thought I was a wet poochyena?" He teased before shaking his wet hair near her getting her clothes wetter.

"Steven!" Cynthia shrieked trying to hide her laughter.


	10. Wallace's News

**Some Graceful Shipping in this one but I really am happy with how it came out!**

* * *

The five-year-old daughter of Steven and Cynthia, patiently stared out the window awaiting the arrival of her favorite Uncle.

Steven watched Jade from the sofa as his arm rested behind his wife. It had been about two months since they had seen Wallace. The two childhood friends had made a very good effort to stay close despite Steven moving in with Cynthia in Sinnoh after they had gotten married. However, once Jade was born Wallace had turned into a super Uncle. It always impressed Steven how well Wallace got along with his daughter. It was a side of him he had never seen before.

Cynthia chuckled. "Jade has been talking about this visit for a week. I don't think he's gonna be able to leave this time."

Steven smiled and nodded. "If it weren't for Winona I think he would probably stay."

Finally a taxi arrived in front of their house which caused Jade's eyes to go wide. She ran to the door and looked at her parent's with pure excitement. "He's here! He's here! Can I go greet him?!"

Cynthia stood up and went over to her. "Of course just don't go into the street," she said before opening the door to which her daughter immediately dashed out.

Steven followed to watch from the door as the five-year-old daughter ran to the taxi.

Wallace practically leaped out the car. He pretended to look around. "Where is she? Where is my beloved Jade?" Wallace looked down and his eyes widened when he saw the young girl. "No! This cannot be my darling niece. You are far taller than I remember." He was hiding it well, but for once Wallace was actually nervous to come on this trip to see his close friends. He had important news to tell them that had been consuming him.

Jade reached up to him and jumped excitedly "Uncle Wallace it is me! I promise!"

Wallace grinned and picked up his niece. He rested her on his hip. "Wow you've gotten so tall since I've seen you last. What are your parents feeding you?" He teased directing that to the parents at the door. Wallace walked over to them and wrapped his arms around them.

Cynthia chuckled at the tight grasp. "Wallace it's great to see you."

Steven just let the hug happen having been used to this for the majority of his life. "How's it been?"

Jade giggled since she was trapped between the hug.

Wallace pulled away and shrugged. "It's been going. You know how it is." Wallace wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about himself. "Steven would you mind helping me with my luggage?"

Steven raised an eyebrow and noticed the four suitcases on the side of the street the taxi driver had pulled out of the trunk. He rolled his eyes. "I don't know how you even pack this have this much stuff." He managed to drag them all inside and put them in the guest bedroom.

Cynthia went to the kitchen to pour them all some tea. "Wallace how is Winona?"

Wallace sat next to Jade on the sofa and tried to hide his faltering smile. "Oh uh she's great of course. Still my amazing wonderful love of my life. She's been busy with her gym leader duties but that's to be expected. Things are absolutely perfect."

Steven listened to his best friend as he entered the living room and furrowed his eyebrows. He knew something was up but wouldn't push it yet. The couple had gone through problems in the past but he thought they both had worked it out.

Wallace quickly tried to change the subject. "I almost forgot! Jade, I have something for you!" Wallace went to his bag and pulled something out before hiding it behind his back

Jade's eyes widened. "Really is it from the Hoenn region?"

Cynthia raised a stern eyebrow at him as she placed the tea on the coffee table. Let's just say they have had many conversations about Wallace spoiling their daughter before.

Wallace grinned and nodded. "Yes it is." From behind his back he pulls out a tiny fishing rod. On the rod was a Milotic beautifully painted onto it.

Both Steven and Cynthia's hearts simultaneously melted. They couldn't help but sigh contently in unison.

Jade's eyes widened as she held the rod in her tiny hands. "Uncle Wallace. This is…. wow." The girl was in awe of the present that she had been given.

"I thought it would be super fun for me to teach you how to fish. Only for fun though. We don't hurt the pokemon we catch. That is of course if your parents are okay with that?" Wallace asked and turned his head for an answer with a hopeful expression.

The two parents nodded their head's eagerly. Cynthia grinned and clapped her hands. "Absolutely! I think it would be a great skill for her to learn."

"She'll also get to learn about different pokemon. Awh, Wallace this is so sweet," Steven said practically beaming at his friend.

Wallace smirked softly. Those two had definitely become soft ever since they became parents.

Later that night, Wallace carefully closed his niece's door after reading her a bedtime story that had put her to sleep. They had an amazing day of Wallace teaching Jade how to fish while her parents took loads of pictures. It made him so happy to spend time with them. However with the recent news he had received it also made him very anxious. Wallace walked down the steps and spotted Steven waiting for him in the living room.

"Jade completely adores you. We really appreciate you making the trip to Sinnoh," Steven smiled gesturing for him to sit down.

Wallace sat down in one of the arm chairs across from Steven. He smiled softly and nodded. "You have raised a literal gem. I don't know how you guys did it.. Jade is so perfect."

Steven nodded in agreement. "We try to teach her the best we can. Plus she has great role models in her life like you."

Wallace bit his lip and his heart started to beat nervously. "I try my best. I wish I could be better…"

Steven frowned deeply and he shook his head. Hearing his friend doubt himself was so unlike him. "Wallace is everything okay? Are you and Winona having problems? I can't stop thinking about how you responded when Cynthia asked about her. It was uncharacteristically uncertain."

Wallace was pale as a ghost as he shakily sighed. "Winona and I are fine. Well sort of…" Wallace paused for a moment before cracking and putting his hands on his face. "Steven I have no idea what to do. I'm so lost and scared."

Steven's eyes widened at what was happening in front of him. He had never seen him this way. Almost when Winona and Wallace broke up temporarily but this seemed different. Steven's own heartbeat quickened at the state of his friend. "Please tell me what is going on? Maybe I can help? Is everyone safe?"

Wallace swallowed hard. He had to tell him. He knew Steven would help him. If anybody would get it, it'd be him. "Winona is pregnant," he mumbled into his hands.

Steven's paused to digest what Wallace had just told him. Based on the way Wallace was acting he could tell this was a surprise. Finally, after a moment, Steven smiled."I can't think of any two people more equipped to be brilliant parents."

Wallace rubbed his face and looked at Steven desperately. "It's just scary because we both work so much and I'm worried how we are going to manage a child along with it. I don't want Winona to have to give up her career." Wallace sighed and shook his head. "Also I'm so much and over-the-top. We all know that… What if my kid doesn't like me or Winona grows sick of me? I don't know if that will work well for being a father. "

Steven shook his head and held his hands in front of him. "First things first Winona is crazy about you. She adores you. Completely. That will never change, I can guarantee it. The other thing I know about her is she doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do. That woman is one of the strongest people I know and if she thinks she's ready then I'd trust her on that. If Winona wants this kid there are ways to make pregnancy, kids and career work. Obviously there are going to be sacrifices, yes but you two just need to work through it together. " Steven ran a hand through his hair before standing up and walking to a set of shelves. He returned next to Wallace and handed him a picture frame.

Wallace scanned the photo and couldn't help but smile at it. It was of him playing in the kiddy pool with a three-year-old Jade along with Milotic.

Steven smiled over his shoulder as well. "Do you remember how you found out Cynthia was pregnant? I was too scared to do anything and hadn't talked to anyone from Hoenn in over a week. You flew all the way out here because you were so worried. When I finally told you what was going on the look in your eyes was pure joy. You snapped me out of my shock and made me believe that I could raise a child." Steven placed a hand on Wallace's shoulder comfortingly. "You have showered our daughter with love before she was even born. You've become one of the most inspiring people in her life and have taught her things Cynthia and I could never have as well as you. You've taught her how to swim and be creative. You have shown Jade how it's okay to be yourself whether that's wanting to wear costumes and dancing around everyday or just being confident in herself. To be quite frank, you also taught me that. Throughout our friendship you have pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me stop caring what other people think. I wouldn't be who I am today without your encouragement. Wallace you aren't too much. You are perfectly yourself and will make an excellent father."

Wallace's jaw dropped at the power behind Steven's words. He considered Steven and Cynthia to be the best parents there have ever been and for him to say that about him really meant the world to him. Wallace was about to emotionally pull Steven into a tight hug but before he could Steven had beat him to it.

"Congratulations. I'm so so so happy for you and Winona," Steven said with a crack in his voice. "I just know this kid will be amazing."

Wallace blinked with confusion. Why was his shirt wet? Was Steven crying? Was it Opposite Day? Steven was a bigger softie than he ever could have imagined now. Wallace couldn't help but chuckle and patted his back. "Thank you. I'm very excited as well."

The next morning Wallace woke up early and tiptoed to Jade's swing set outside. He sat on the swing and pulled out his cellphone. Wallace hadn't shared his fear with Winona yet because she had enough to worry about already. He took a deep breath before calling her.

"Hello?"

Wallace smiled at her whimsical voice. "Morning my love! How are you on this fine day?"

Winona chuckled into the phone. "It isn't morning here anymore but it's been pretty good! Just had my lunch break. I have been eating a lot more lately…How about you? How is Jade, Cynthia and Steven?"

Wallace sighed contently. "Great as always. You should see how big Jade is. She's grown up so much!"

There was a moment of silence from Winona. "You've always been so good with her," she said almost nervously.

Wallace, of course, could pick up on her emotions despite being regions apart. "Winona, I'm sorry. I've been so scared about this whole situation. I didn't tell you this because I want this child but I didn't want you to think I wasn't ready. This is so new to me and you just deserve the best which I want to try to be."

"Of course you are scared! I'm scared too. Oh, Wallace, you act like you are the first man to be new to fatherhood."

Wallace chuckled softly. He absolutely loved how Winona found the humor in most things. "I had a conversation with Steven and he helped me realize that this isn't so uncommon."

Winona hummed. "Yeah, I figured he would. That's why I wanted you to go on this trip. If anyone's gonna talk some sense into you, it's him."

Wallace gently pushed the ground back and forth with his feet. "I will do whatever it takes to be a good father to this baby…and good to you. I promise."

"You act like I'm going to give you much of a choice in the matter."

Wallace laughed and stared at the grass beneath him. There was a moment of warm silence realizing this was reality and something they could handle. He glanced up and noticed the family starting to come down to the kitchen. "I love you, Winona."

"I love you too. Talk later?"

"Of course. Goodbye love." Wallace let Winona hang up the phone before he stood up from the swings and went back inside. Immediately his leg was crashed into.

"Good morning Uncle Wallace," Jade said hugging Wallace's leg. "I hope you slept well."

"Morning my sweet gem," Wallace grinned crouching down to her height. "Why don't I make breakfast we have a big day of excitement ahead of us?"

Cynthia frowned and shook her head. "Wallace you're our guest you don't have to-" She was cut off by a gentle nudge from Steven who was smiling. She picked up on his hint to let this happen but wondered what was going on.

Once breakfast was made they all sat around the table eating a pile of pancakes. Wallace was never the best cook and often tended to drop things in the kitchen but he was trying to get better lately.

Cynthia was shocked at how much he had improved. "I'm sorry I doubted your abilities, Wallace. This is delicious," she said before taking another bite.

Wallace chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He wanted to hide his smirk that would come from what he was about to do. "I'm trying to get better. You know, with the baby coming and all."

The news shocked Cynthia and caused her to choke on her food. Without hesitation, Steven ran over to help her although, it wasn't as big a deal as he thought it was. Cynthia grinned ignoring her husband's overprotective behavior. "A baby? Wallace that's amazing. Congratulations."

Jade looked over at her parents then back to Wallace with a puzzled expression. "Where is the baby coming from?"

Wallace smiled wide and leaned over to his niece. "Well you see Jade, Aunt Winona and I are going to have our own kid. We are going to be parents."

Jade's eyes widened. "Really!? That's amazing I am going to be their best friend. I can show them my rock collection."

Wallace laughed. "Steven she is without a doubt your daughter."

Cynthia looked up at Steven who was still standing behind her. She smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders fondly. Cynthia chuckled. "We are going to have to learn how to be an Aunt and Uncle."

Steven squeezed her shoulder. "We have a lot to live up to." He looked back at Wallace and smiled proudly.


	11. Kicking Things into Gear

**Two one-shots in two days! Hopefully, you are as excited as I am!**

* * *

Steven finally had to stop running to catch his breath. He scanned the area around him but all he saw was trees upon trees. Cynthia where are you? The Eterna Forest was probably his least favorite part of Sinnoh. Okay, that was not true, it was definitely Snowpoint City but at the moment it was really making him angry. He had received a phone call from Aaron and Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four that their champion had gone missing and the last place anyone had seen her was the entrance to the Eterna Forest. Logically Steven flew from Hoenn to Sinnoh to find her.

Cynthia and he had become very good friends over the past year. Steven admired their friendships and people often teased that he had a crush on her which maybe had some truth behind it did but that was never important. All he cared about was keeping things how they were because he didn't want to ruin what they had.

Steven's skarmory reappeared from earlier with a disappointing cry saying he had not found Cynthia yet.

Steven sighed and fell to his knees. What if something happened to her? The thought of Cynthia never seeing her again made him ill. Cynthia would never know how whenever they hung out it'd be all he could think about for next couple weeks. She'd never know how at ease she made him feel. Steven felt like he could relax and enjoy the moment when she was around. Cynthia would never know how he really felt about her and that broke his heart.

"Steven is that you?" A familiar voice yelled from behind a tree. A blonde figure started rushing toward his spot on the ground.

Skarmory landed next to Steven protectively at the approaching figure but when he saw who it was he started pecking his owner excitedly. Skarmory was very proud he had found what his master was looking for.

"Ow! Skarmory, what are you doing?" Steven looked up and his eyes widened when he was met with no other than Cynthia herself.

Cynthia knelt in front of him and carefully used her thumb to lift up his chin to inspect him for any injuries."What are you doing here? Are you okay? Why are you on the ground looking hurt? Why do you look so hurt?"

Steven was overwhelmed with emotion. She was alive. She was safe. She was right in front of him. Unable to control himself Steven crashed his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow as she was unable to breathe against his chest. "Uh, Steven, what's going on?"

Steven loosened up slightly so she could breathe. "I'm so glad you are okay Cynthia! I heard you were missing and I came to save you and I think I'm in love with you! Actually, I know for a fact I am I'm in love with you! I'm so sorry if that sounded like I doubted how I feel about you! The thought of never telling you has had me in a fit! So yes I Steven Stone am in fact madly in love with you."

Has he been hit on the head or something? Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows tightly as she leaned away. "I'm here volunteering to help with the construction of the new light system here in the forest. I'm not missing or like ever was... Who told you that I was missing? Also... you're in love with me?"

Steven stared at her for a few moments trying to process everything she had just said. His face flooded pink. Not only had he made a huge rescue mission to save Cynthia when she was in fact fine all along but he had also confessed his love to her. Why did he just do that?! After a year of playing it cool, this is how he tells her? This was probably the least smooth thing Steven had ever done. "Well uh...Flint and Aaron called me and said you were missing and that they were... worried."

Cynthia gritted her teeth. "Those idiots! I'm so sorry they wasted your time! I can't believe they would do something this careless. Yeah, I'm totally fine and they know exactly where I am. IHow could they play a prank that required you flying to a whole other region?!

Steven still very much frozen just stared at the ground. He had figured out what happened but wasn't able to believe he had fallen for it. "I guess I should have suspected something was up when no one else was searching for you... or the news wasn't covering your disappearance."

Cynthia watched him for a few moments before breaking her torturous silence by chuckling. Never in her life had she seen Steven this flustered. It was actually very endearing. "Wow, you did all of this for me huh?"

Steven burned a brighter shade of red. Oh, how he wanted to just crawl under a rock, in a cave and never be seen again. "I-I mean I was... well um worried and um you and I are um very close and I guess-"

"You guess you're in love with me?" Cynthia teased. She couldn't help but grin at the silver-haired man in front of her. She never expected him to do something this spontaneous. "Well Steven, I think you might like to hear that I am very much interested in taking the next step in our friendship. Love might be a little too fast for me but I think you'll understand once you come out of this stage of shock you seem to be in. So in that case-"

Before Steven could say anything Cynthia had pressed her lips gently against his. He turned as red as a Crawdaunt. How had he gone from completely embarrassing himself to kissing the woman he was madly in love with?

After they both enjoyed the moment, Cynthia pulled away and chuckled at his puzzled expression she had left him in. "Let's go to the site and get you some water. Okay?"

Steven hadn't responded and was still sitting there shocked. Without hesitation, Skarmory started peckin him on the arm once again.

"Ow! Skarmory! Why do you keep doing this?! wrong!" Steven winced.

Skarmory sung and flaunted his wings happily before he was returned to his poké ball by Steven.

Finally, Steven stood up but not without tripping over his feet not two seconds later.

Cynthia laughed and shook her head as she watched Steven get back on his feet and try to act like nothing had happened. "What am I going to do with you?"

~ Meanwhile at the Sinnoh Pokemon League ~

Aaron and Flint were lounging in the living room watching TV. "You think it's a little cruel how we made the Champion of Hoenn fly all the way to Sinnoh just to play a prank on him?" Aaron asked monotonely.

Flint shrugged and put his feet on the coffee table. "Nah it was getting super annoying how they haven't just started dating ya know? This will probably kick things into gear. Besides, it's not like he can't afford it?"


	12. Pages

Steven managed to get the door unlock despite carrying several large bags of groceries. He had spent the day with Roark exploring parts of the Underground he had yet to visit since his move to Sinnoh. "Cynthia, I'm home!" It had been a tough couple months for Cynthia. She had been very overwhelmed managing her position as Champion of Sinnoh along with writing her first book. Apparently his wife's editor had recently given her a big chunk of notes which she was extremely stressed about addressing. It caused him a lot of pain to see Cynthia this way which is why he thought it'd be nice if he made her, her favorite meal, plus ice cream of course.

Steven waited for a response as he started putting the groceries out on the counter. After a minute with no response, he furrowed his brows. Part of him was concerned something had happened to her but he was smart enough to reason that Cynthia must be busy writing.

Instead of barging into the study Steven decided to give her some time and make dinner. He made a homemade pizza with all of her favorite toppings. His pokémon helped him chop up the toppings and make a side salad to go along with it. Steven was certain this would cheer her up at least slightly.

After Steven lit several candles throughout the dining room he laid out the meal on the table. On the counter was several pokémon friendly versions he had cooked made for his and Cynthia's companions. Steven decided it was finally an appropriate time to visit Cynthia. Steven walked down the hall to their study where he'd knew she'd be working. He gently knocked on the cold door before peaking his head in. "Hey, how's it going-" Steven cut himself off when he saw Cynthia face down on piles of papers that were lying on the desk. His heart ached as he gazed at her exhausted position. "Oh sweetie," he breathed out. He froze near the doorway debating what to do. It was only 6 o'clock, however, she desperately needed to sleep. But if he didn't wake her up, he knew one, she hadn't eaten probably all day knowing the work habits of his wife and two she'd be upset that she lost valuable writing time.

As Steven thought about what to do he noticed a loose paper sticking out. He couldn't help but inhale sharply. Cynthia had been refusing to let Steven read the book until she felt better about it. He hated seeing her struggle in her own thoughts and felt that maybe having someone to bounce ideas off of would be helpful for her. However, she never took him up on his offer. As tempting as it was to take a peak of her work he decided to give her, her privacy.

Steven sighed feeling ashamed by his thoughts before carefully picking Cynthia up into his arms and taking her up to their bedroom. Gently, he placed her down on their bed before tucking her in and kissing her forehead. He prayed she'd finally get the sleep she needed.

A couple hours later, Steven had packed up the food he made and decided they could have it another time. He made sure to feed their pokémon who loved their poke-pizzas. Steven had spent his night writing in a leather notebook near the fireplace. He often wrote poems that only Cynthia really was able to read. He liked putting his private thoughts on paper, comparing his love for Cynthia to nature, or adventures to astrology. It kept him busy when he wasn't off exploring. His pen stroked aggressively into an abstract line across the page when he heard a panicked yell from the bedroom. Steven sprinted up the stairs and swung open the door. "Cynthia, what's wrong?!"

Cynthia was holding the clock in her room with panic in her eyes. "Steven it's 9:30! I fell asleep! I'm not even close to being where I should be with this chapter!" She was completely overwhelm with tears nearing her eyes. Cynthia slammed the clock on the desk and gripped her hair.

Steven exhaled before walking over and placing a gentle hand on her back. "Love, it was just a couple hours of sleep. You've been exhausting yourself and I'm worried about you. I know this book is important to you but don't you think you can take the night off?"

Cynthia was about to protest when she realized deep down he was right. She had been desperately needing a moment of relaxation but felt if she gave into that temptation she'd never catch up. Steven always encouraged her to do her best but if she was straining herself he'd always be the first person to try to bring up her health. Unable to panic any longer she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "I just want this to be good you know? It's my first book and I just want people to take me seriously."

Steven wrapped his arm around her waist with one hand and carefully stroked her hair with the other. He comforted her as best he could wanting her to feel that he was there for her. "And it will be. You are so intelligent and have such a way with words. I have no doubt your debut into the book world will be anything less than perfection." Steven rubbed her back and placed a long kiss on her forehead. "You hungry at all? I made some a pizza but put it the fridge when I saw you were sleeping. I also got some icecream."

Cynthia couldn't help but grin and gently twirled his hair with his fingers. "Steven that's so sweet. I don't know what'd I do without you. How are you the best husband ever," she said before kissing him lovingly.

Steven kissed her back enjoying the moment briefly before an overwhelming feeling of guilt caused him to pull away. He paused a moment before his smiled faded and he bowed his head ashamed. "There is something I have to tell you… When you were asleep at your desk… pages of your book were out."

Cynthia flinched back completely thrown off by the words out of his mouth. "But I told you not to read it…" Her heart stung as she felt betrayed by the person she trusted most in this world. She felt completely embarrassed because she wasn't ready for him to read it yet. How could he take advantage of her vulnerability?

Steven quickly shook his head. "No! I didn't read them! I would never invade your privacy like that. However I feel bad because the thought crossed my mind and I'm so sorry I would even think to do something like that. I know you are very particular about your work and I respect your process. I just... am not the perfect husband you think I am."

Cynthia raised and eyebrow before letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh you," she teased letting out a chuckled. She brushed her hand across his jaw before kissing his cheek. "Don't feel guilty for not reading it. That makes absolutely no sense. Thank you for respecting my wishes and I'm sorry I snapped. I just want you to see the best version of this work. I'm sorry I keep pushing you away from it. I'm just worried it won't be up to your standard."

Steven shook his head. "It's not a flaw to be a perfectionist my love," he said softly brushing a stray hair back from her perfect blonde mane. "As long as you aren't hurting yourself I wouldn't want you to change yourself. Just know you don't need to do this alone and if you ever need help no one will judge you for it."

Cynthia nodded slowly. "I will. I promise." Her stomach started to growl and she blushed. "So what was that about dinner again?"

Steven grinned and lead them downstairs.

Steven woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Cynthia often had to wake up early to travel to the Pokemon League. He groaned as he stretched before sitting at the edge of his bed. After rubbing his eyes he foggily noticed a vase on his night stand. They were some dafodills and other various wildflowers. He chuckled softly. The two of them had discovered after two years of dating and a couple months of marriage that the glitz and glamour of expensive flowers were boring. They bonded over their love of flowers just found in nature. They considered it more thoughtful and personal. "How lovely," he hummed before noticing what was next to the flowers.

A large stack of papers.

Steven raised an eyebrow before reaching over and picking up the sticky note.

 _Dearest Steven,_

 _Thanks for giving me my privacy in regards to my book. As a reward I thought you deserved to finally get a chance to give it a look. I believe your opinions would be extremely beneficial before it gets published._

 _I look forward to hearing what you think._

 _xoxoxo,_  
 _Cynthia_

Steven grinned as his heart started racing. The day was finally here. Another thing Steven and Cynthia bonded over was their love of books. A large portion of their relationship was spent discussing various books they had read. That's why when she told him that she was going to write a book he was ecstatic. He knew her work would be enticing.

Steven grabbed the stack of papers and flipped over the title page.

 _Acknowledgements_

 _To my Grandmother who introduced me to my love of reading, to my little sister who inspires me everyday, to my parents who guide me despite being gone and finally to my beloved Steven whose support has made me confident enough to write this book._

Steven felt his heart sore at the acknowledgement. "What a woman," he said proudly to himself before getting out of bed and carrying the papers downstairs. He knew after he fed his pokemon he'd spend all day reading the book that had been number one on his list.

~ _A Few Months Ago~_

 _One night the happy couple was eating dinner together. Steven was in the middle of telling her about all the stones he had found that day when he noticed Cynthia was looking down at her barely touched food playing with a piece of broccoli. Steven paused before looking down. He knew sometimes he could go on too long rambling about his love of stones but usually she'd muse him some. Not that she was required to but the thought of boring her made him fear that she'd grown tired of him and might leave him. "Sorry I was rambling," he said softly._

 _After a moment Cynthia noticed her husband had stopped talking. She looked over and saw a glum expression on Steven's face. Cynthia sighed feeling extremely guilty. "Steven, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I just have a lot on my mind, it's not you."_

 _Steven glanced back up. He could tell she was telling the truth. "Oh…that's okay. I should have noticed. What's wrong?"_

 _Cynthia bit her lip and shrugged. "I've been thinking that I need to change things up. I feel like I've been in a rut. I need to stir up my name a bit."_

 _Steven raised an eyebrow. "Is this in regards to work? Or is it…" He couldn't finish his statement because the thought of her feeling trapped with him broke his heart._

 _Cynthia looked back down. "It's work. I love being champion and it's very rarely a dull moment but I want to do more. Obviously I'm not going to leave the position but I think I want to do more along with it. Does that make sense?" She figured if anybody understood it'd be him. He left his position._

 _Steven carefully took in her words. Of_ course _he understood. "Absolutely. You are capable of anything you put your mind to. Was there something you had in mind?"_

 _Cynthia blushed. She was nervous to say the words out loud because what if it was too ridiculous. What if she wasn't good enough to? "I… I think I really want to write a book."_

 _Steven's eyes widen. A book? A book_ written _by the most interesting woman he had ever met and had been lucky enough to marry? Would it be a memoir or book on her studies? His thoughts were racing with all the possibilities of pure genius he knew she was capable of. He slowly stood up and walked to over to her._

 _Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Steven what are you doing?" She couldn't help but stand up next to him._

 _Finally, his expression broke into the brightest grin ever. He wrapped his arms around her and picked up. "Cynthia! I can't think of anything more wonderful." He twirled her in the air. "I'm so excited for you! "_

 _Cynthia was very confused at first before she couldn't help but break out into laughter. She couldn't believe how supportive he was. "Steven you're such a dork!" she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately._

Steven put down the last page awestruck. It was incredible. By far his new favorite book. He wished it wasn't over yet. He pressed the papers to his chest and hugged it close as tears crept to the corners of his eyes. Cynthia always made him so emotional. As he pulled away he noticed another sticky note on the back of the last page.

Steven raised and eyebrow and picked it up.

 _I wouldn't have been able to do this without you my love. I want to push you to do your best the way you've always supported me. That's why I think you should publish your poems you write. I know you say it's just for fun but you're extremely talented. I have been worried about telling you how much I love them because I didn't want to embarrass you and you'd stop writing them. However, you deserve to know they make my heart soar. I love you so much and of course I don't want to pressure you but the world would be honored to see that side of you._

 _Since you're done the book I'm sure I'll be home any minute so I'll talk to you soon._

Steven was bright red. He always thought his poems were lame and they were just a way to pass the time. He also didn't realize how much Cynthia enjoyed them All of a sudden he felt two warm arms wrap around his neck from behind. Despite being slightly startled he didn't flinch because he knew this touch better than anyone else. He leaned back and hummed before placing kisses on her hand then up her arm.

Cynthia blushed at the sweet gestures. "Sooooooo," Cynthia asked nervously as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Steven interlocked one of his hands with hers. "Objectively, the best book I have ever read. I'm so proud of you my love. It was so inspiring."

His approval meant the world to Cynthia, however, she wasn't looking for just compliments. She wanted his insight. She was about to say something when she noticed the pad of paper next to him. "You took notes?" At that moment she was certain she was the luckiest woman on the earth.

Steven raised an eyebrow before nodding. "I hope that's okay. It's nothing major. Honestly, already it's spectacular I just thought I'd point out some minor things. If that's okay?"

Cynthia walked around to him and placed her hands on his cheeks before kissing him deeply.

Steven carefully picked up the woman so she was on his lap as he kissed her back. She was his everything. The sunseting on the beach could not compare to beauty her love has made him feel. Everything about her made him want to be his best self.

Cynthia pressed their forehead's together and ran a hand through his hair. "You read my note?"

Steven inhaled before smiling softly. "It certainly is an interesting idea," he mused leaning into her touch. "Let's talk about it after we discuss your book. I will say you definitely have ignited me into wanting to put my words out there, love." Despite feeling incredibly shy about showcasing his vulnerability to the world he felt excitement inside of him thinking about all the posibilities he could do with a book. "


	13. Slugger

**Not sure how this one got so long but I hope you enjoy. I have a bunch more coming soon that I'm really excited about.**

* * *

Cynthia hadn't said a word since 'it' happened. Her anger was something he could feel simmering against him as she waited with him in the ER. Truthfully he thought it was overkill to take him there but once she started dragging him after the incident he wasn't going to question her. Mainly because he was too scared to.

~Earlier~  
"I have been running over what I said over and over again in my head yet I can't seem to find a flaw with prioritizing the lives of civilians over chasing after potential threats," Cynthia said exhaustedly as she gripped her blonde hair.

Next to her on the bench in Ever Grand City was the blue-haired Hoenn Champion. Steven accompanied her after the conclusion of the Champion's Meeting that was hosted this time in the Hoenn region. It wasn't a productive one, to say the least, because the Kanto Champion had spent the entire time dismissing all of Cynthia's arguments. Lance did have a tendency to shut down the suggestions of the female champions during meetings. His elitist misogynistic attitude had become extremely disrespectful and the Sinnoh Champion had become the main target of his unreasonable actions for the entire year she had been a champion. Steven had been Cynthia's first friend out of the champions. Their first conversation had to do with the history of the Legendary titans and since then the two had become not only allies but extremely close friends. That's why Steven's blood boiled whenever Lance gave her a hard time at the meetings. Before Cynthia, he hadn't hesitated to call him out for being out of line with Diantha since he respected her deeply. However, the anger doubled with the introduction of the blonde-haired champion. He knew his growing attraction to the woman was starting to cloud his judgement but he couldn't sit on the sidelines. "No you were right," Steven assured. "Your perspective puts the lives of others as the primary priority. There is no flaw in that."

Cynthia sighed and hung her head. "There are so many powerful women. This shouldn't even be a debate anymore. Why can't he realize that my opinions have every right to be heard?"

Steven frowned at her defeated expression. She has had to endure so much. Always having to prove that she was worthy when in reality she was ten times the champion they'd all ever be. Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. He wanted to tell her how inspirational she had been in his life. How her strength and wisdom truly impacted his life and made him think in ways he had never dreamed. "You are-"

"Ahhh so this is how you get your support, Cynthia," a familiar arrogant voice remarked.

Their heads snapped to see Lance himself approaching them.

Steven's hand gravitated from her shoulder into a fist beside him. The man's words were going in a dangerous direction. If Lance continued his snide comments in the path they seemed to be going Steven didn't know if he could hold himself back.

Lance shook his head as a smirk appeared on his face. "Sleeping with fellow champions so they side with you seems fairly tacky, even for you."

Cynthia's jaw dropped at his words. She was now being accused of sleeping around for support. No man would ever have to endure these kinds of comments. How was it that despite going through all the work of becoming a champion she still had to prove herself? The Sinnoh Champion was speechless, unable to form any kind of argument because of how uncomfortable she was.

The Hoenn man's body tensed up with anger as he stood up to eye-level with Lance. He had no thoughts of consequences. No thoughts of backing down. Lance needed to be taught a lesson. He threw out everything his parents taught him about solving problems with words rather than actions.

Cynthia's eyes widened. What was he going to- Her jaw dropped wider as she watched Steven's fist collide into Lance's jaw. This was not happening. It couldn't be "Steven!"

Steven's teeth grit as Lance fumbled back stunned by his actions. He had battled with the man before but it was never enough. He was done subjecting his Pokemon to such a disgusting person. He wanted him to learn his lesson. "Don't you ever speak about a woman that way! She has earned her way here the same way you did! Your intolerance has gone on far too long! You could learn a lot from her! Manners being one of them!"

Lance's brows were furrowed as his cheek progressively started to turn red. He stood back on his feet and grabbed Steven by the collar of his shirt. Steven was tall but Lance definitely had a couple inches on him. "You spoiled brat! What the hell is wrong with you?!" He proceeded to swing a punch into Steven's upper jaw and then another into his nose.

Although Steven was quite strong from all his excavations, he had no experience fighting. Steven fell back but managed to regain footing quickly. He wouldn't accept defeat. Not while defending her. She had already gone through enough pain because of this man.

Steven was about to go in for another attack when Cynthia ran between the two men with tears welling in her eyes. "That's enough! What are we, children?! This is idiotic! We are supposed to set an example! Not physically attack each other!" With that, she yanked Steven by his jacket before pushing him to start walking.

"But Cynthia I-" When he turned around he was met with a piercing death glare. Steven quickly turned back around and continued walking fearing the consequences of disobeying her. As proceeded to walk he noticed there was something sliding down his face. Steven placed a finger on his chin and pulled away. There was quite a bit of blood. What had he gotten himself into?

At the ER, the doctor finally finished bandaging up Steven's nose. Great how was he going to explain this to anybody? Suave, sophisticated, wise, calm Steven Stone now had a pretty bad black eye and a broken nose. Once the doctor was done, he turned to Cynthia who immediately avoided eye contact and quickly left the room. Steven knew she was mad and disappointed with him. He couldn't really blame her either. It was just difficult to listen to him talk to her in such a demeaning way. After the doctor finished giving him instructions on how to take care of his injuries he left the room as fast as could searching for the blonde down the hallways. "Cynthia! Cynthia wait up!" He spotted her just outside the hospital and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I-"

Cynthia immediately jerked his hand away. "Do not touch me."

Steven flinched at her harshness. They had never had an argument. They never had a reason to before this. The way she was looking at him with such disgust hurt more than any of the injuries. "Cynthia please I'm s-"

Cynthia shook her head as she fought back tears that had returned to her eyes. "I thought you were better than physical violence! What were you thinking?! Do you think Lance has learned his lesson? Having someone else stand up for me with barbaric actions!? What good did that do?! You don't get to do something like that! In fact, you made things worse! I can't… I can't even look at you." Tears heavily fell down her face before she stomped away.

Steven's heart felt like it had been ripped out, thrown onto the ground and stomped on multiple times. He was speechless. Frozen. His actions today were unbelievable and he might have lost her because of them. How could he let himself get that out of control?

"WHO ON EARTH DID THIS TO YOU?! STEVEN YOUR PRECIOUS FACE! WHATEVER WILL YOU DO?! I'M CALLING THE POLICE! WE HAVE TO TAKE DOWN THIS HEATHEN!"

Steven groaned as continued to watch his childhood best friend's initial freak out. He desperately needed advice on how to fix his friendship with Cynthia so he asked if Wallace would visit him at his home in Mossdeep City. However, Steven had yet to be given an opportunity to explain what happened because the gym leader had been freaking out for ten minutes. He held an icepack to bruised eye hoping he could get some of the swelling down. "I got into a fight with Lance!" He said loud enough that he'd finally get Wallace to stop. His headache was already killing him enough.

Wallace was stunned. The words out of his always usually composed friend's mouth were shocking. Sure he had seen Steven annoyed multiple times but rarely ever angry. "Why on Earth would you do that?"

Steven's face turned redder than it was with just the bruise on his face, although it was starting to turn a purple shade. "Well you see, throughout the Champion's meeting, Lance was acting extremely unreasonable toward… the Champion of Sinnoh." Steven had to be careful talking about his friendship with Cynthia around Wallace. He was scared of the gym leader possibly realizing his true feelings for the woman and the thought of the teasing that this discovery would result in, made him anxious just thinking about. "And then he made an extremely crude comment that I only sided with her because she was… intimate with me. Which isn't at all true! We are not intimate! Nor is she using me! I just was so infuriated and could not let this go on any longer so I... punched him."

Wallace listened as he tried to process the information Steven had given him. After a moment the teal-haired man bit his lip in an attempt to suppress his oncoming smirk. However, it was far too strong for him to control. "I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner… You have fallen for the Sinnoh Champion! That explains all those trips to Sinnoh in order to learn about their 'Underground System'."

Steven's eyes widened and he quickly darted his gaze out the window to hide his blush. "Wallace, that's absolute nonsense. She is a fellow colleague who deserves respect. That's all."

Wallace grinned as he wagged a finger in his direction. "That's a lie and you know it. That's why you were willing to go to the holiday party this year! Oh my goodness! And you tried to protect her! Awh Steven that's so sweet! Dumb but endearing to know you are in love."

Steven glared at his so-called friend as he made fun of his emotions. It was a very rare occurrence for Steven to be so infatuated with someone. He hadn't dated anybody in about two years let alone really fall for them. Cynthia was extremely special. Intelligent. Kind. Passionate. Dedicated. Steven couldn't believe she was even interested in being friends. He thought he was lucky at the holiday party when she spent the entire night secluded from the rest of the guests at a back table talking to him. They even shared a dance because Cynthia said 'it'd be the best way to end such a special evening.' Their relationship held such value to him which is why he didn't want Wallace poking his nose into it or poking fun at him. Steven decided the best move was to move on from the conversation."Either way, she was furious with me. She practically dragged me to the hospital then once she realized I was okay she took off. I followed her and…." Steven sighed and looked down. The memory filled him with such pain and humiliation. "She looked at me like I was a monster."

Wallace's expression softened as he saw how upset Steven had become. The poor idiot. "She's a proud woman who likes to fight her own battles. Of course, she is upset. You were in fact out of line, Steven."

Steven nodded at the truth in Wallace's words. He knew that. He hated that he had become one of those guys that acted on his emotions. He had fallen for toxic masculinity and knew he was better than that.

Wallace nudged his friend and offered a soft smile. "You should just go apologize. I'm sure she'll forgive you if you just own up to your mistake."

Steven shook his head solemnly. "I tried... but she wouldn't listen. I really think I've ruined this. It's over." He felt very defeated. Her words rang through his mind. She was right. He was better than his actions today.

Wallace chuckled at his response. "For somebody so intelligent, you sure can be quite naive. Just try again. Cynthia must have been totally shaken up. Most people don't witness fights all the time. If she didn't care she would have just left after the fight. Instead, she made you go to the ER and stayed with you until she realized it was okay. She's mad but it's not over."

For once, Wallace's logic actually made sense. Steven nodded knowing he was right. He had to be honest with her and admit he messed up. "Thank you, Wallace."

Wallace smiled wide. "Of course. We can call it even if you promise to make me the best man at your wedding. But let's make sure it's after your face goes back to normal. No best friend of mine is going to get married with a black eye!"

Steven groaned and slumped his shoulders knowing he was never going to hear the end of this.

Steven quickly made his way to her hotel in Mossdeep. They had made plans to hang out after their meeting but after what he had done he was certain she wasn't expecting him. Once he arrived at the room number she had given him he couldn't help but stare at the door for a few minutes debating whether or not this was a good idea. "You're better than how you acted today Steven," he told himself. He just had to prove it to her. Finally, he mustered enough courage to knock on the door.

After stomping off from Steven, she'd been so upset that she just stayed in her hotel bed for hours. Why had he done something so illogical? He was always so kind and sophisticated. Never had she expected him to act out this way. Cynthia was really hurt because she thought he was different than most men. He always valued intellect over masculinity. What good did starting a physical fight do other than proving he could? If he was thinking clearly she knew he would never try to do something that she disapproved of so much. It also hurt because Cynthia had even started believing they could be possibly more than just friends. Steven was undeniably charming and attractive. He always made an effort to make her laugh. She also thought he had let her know the real him. A sensitive yet sensible man who liked the quieter things in life. However, she was doubting if it was a good idea to even consider dating a fellow champion and with what happened today. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock from the hallway. She sighed and wiped away some of the makeup that had dripped down her face. Upon looking out the peephole she saw the person outside the door was the one who had caused her the pain in the first place. "What do you want?"

Steven bit his lip at the venom in her voice. She had every right to hate him. Maybe this was a bad idea. He rested his head against the door and took a deep breath. "I really messed up today, Cynthia. I let my emotions get the better of me and I took my anger out in an unspeakable way."

Cynthia rested her own head on the door in the spot opposite to where his own was. "You know what you did made me look even weaker? How am I going to face him after that?"

Steven shook his head and closed his eyes. "I just hate the way he talks to you and what he said today... I just couldn't bear it any longer. You deserve so much better than the treatment you receive." Steven lightly made a fist against the door. "I just… care about you so much that it got too far."

Cynthia swallowed hard at his words. That moron. Before she could even say that emotions were no reason to attack on her behalf he scolded himself for her.

"And I know It's not an excuse though! You are right I am better than my actions today. Those words have been all I can think about since you left. There's nothing I can say to excuse my actions. Nothing. I hate that I made the situation worse instead of being there for you. You didn't deserve that. I just hope one day I can earn our friendship back." Steven was tempted to walk away at this point not wanting to cause her anymore unwanted discomfort.

Cynthia swallowed hard. Clearly, he had been punishing himself enough for what had happened. He really seemed to understand the wrong in what he did. Before he could walk away she opened the door and sighed at the sight of him. The broken nose, black eye, bruised knuckles. The Hoenn man had really taken a beating for her. "I can fight my own battles, Steven. While I appreciate you being an ally you can't punch people when they make crude comments. There is no need to prove your manliness."

Steven's eyes widened at the woman. He hadn't expected her to bother opening the door for someone like him. After listening to her words, he nodded. "I know. I'm so sorry."

Cynthia nodded and opened the door wider for him. "Alright slugger. Come in."

Steven tilted his head and rolled his eyes at the name she had called him. "That nickname is not sticking. I'm not a "slugger." My days of physical altercations are behind me," he retorted before walking into her hotel room.

Cynthia chuckled and nodded. "They better be." She followed behind him and sat on the bed. Cynthia couldn't help but find amusement in his changed appearance. It was awful what happened and she was sure he must have been in a lot of pain but she was also trying really hard not to laugh because of how silly he looked. She knew Steven was a sensitive soul that became very flustered when teased but it was just so funny to see someone like him in this situation.

Steven noticed she had stopped talking and knew that 'look' she was making. He pouted knowing he deserved this. To be made fun for his reckless behavior by the woman he was undoubtedly in love with. "Just get it over with," he grumbled.

Cynthia couldn't hold back and started laughing. "I'm sorry but it's just really funny. Steven, you just aren't a fighter. Much better with your words. You let him get two shots on you!"

Steven rolled his eyes again before sitting next to her. "Yeah, I realized that was a mistake to not duck or try to dodge his attack."

Cynthia's laugh eventually faded when he got closer and she could really see the extent of the damage that had been done. "Do you want more ice for it?"

Steven lifted his head up a bit before shaking it. "No, it's fine. It's really not that bad."

Cynthia leaned in and inspected it closely. "It looks like it hurts a lot," she whispered as she very gently grazed his cheek with her fingertips.

Steven didn't flinch because her fingers felt so nice against his skin. His heart started racing as he noticed how close she was to him. He tried to respond but he couldn't stop thinking how he'd never seen a prettier shade of grey than the shade of her eyes. Steven quickly remembered her comment and realized he had to respond. "I-I'm just pretty pale so any mark really shows up."

Cynthia nodded softly before looking down at his hand. She carefully took his hand into her own. "How's this doing?"

Steven knew he was turning a different shade of pink. How could one person's touch be so gentle and caring? "Th-They um... They don't tell you that when you punch someone your hand is gonna hurt this bad," he joked managing to wink charmingly. "But I assure you I'll survive."

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh. She didn't even think twice about his flustered behavior, figuring it was just because of what had happened today. Although when she noticed she was still holding his hand she blushed and quickly looked at the phone. "You want a drink or something?"

Steven watched her suddenly pull away but didn't try to push it. He just smiled in his usual fashion and chuckled. "A drink is well needed right now."

Cynthia looked back and felt her heart flutter at the man. Maybe it wasn't possible to hide her feelings toward him any longer. She simply smiled back and nodded."I'll order some wine then ."

After about two glasses each, the two were completely back to their normal friendship. They were laughing, accidentally flirting, you know, the usual friend things. That's when Steven received a phone call from his father. He hadn't been expecting a call but in case of it being urgent, he politely took the call. "Hello, Father. Wallace told you what? Oh, that… It was a minor altercation. Yes, I'm fine. Yes, I'm aware that it wasn't my brightest move. I'm sorry. Yes, Father. No, I'd rather not hear what mother has to say about- Hello Mom. Yes, I'm fine. Yes, you raised me better. Fighting is never the solution. " Poor Steven was bright red. He was going to kill Wallace for telling them what happened, although he was sure they'd find out eventually. Why did they have to call now though? When he was with Cynthia and also pretty tipsy. When he was younger he was a precocious child but wasn't bad by any means. That's why when they were upset he knew they had a good reason to be. "Mother now's not a good- I know you are concerned but I'm in the middle of- Yes let's talk tomorrow." He finally hung up the phone and groaned before falling back on the bed.

Cynthia knew that look of anxiety in his eyes. Other than at meetings when things got out of hand and today with Lance, Steven was pretty unconfrontational. She smiled sympathetically and gently nudged him. "Relax, people make mistakes. They'll understand. You're probably the least problematic son that has ever existed. It's just a minor scuff"

Steven nodded knowing obviously his parents would forgive him but they were right. He was a prominent figure in Hoenn. How was he supposed to go out looking the way he did? He put his father's company at stake too. Steven looked down defeated feeling like he let everyone down.

Cynthia sighed and ran a hand through his blue locks, wishing he wouldn't get so caught up in his thoughts. "You're always so hard on yourself. I forgave you. I'm sure they will too… slugger." She was sure she could get a smile out of him.

Steven could feel her smirk without even looking. He chuckled and shook his head. "You are loving this. You love torturing me. Fine, then I see how it is." If she wanted to tease him he would tease right back, mainly because he was kind of tipsy and the nickname slugger was driving him nuts. He stood up and picked her up over his shoulders. "Yup that's me. Slugger. Too tough for his own good."

Cynthia gasped when her body was brought into the air then put over his shoulder. "Okay! I get it, you are strong! Put me down! I'm done! I promise!" she said kicking trying to hide her laughter. She loved seeing the playful side of such a collected person.

Steven chuckled as he gave in. "Fine fine. I'm done," he said placing her gently on the bed. However, as he was about to pull away he realized her arms were still wrapped around his neck. Steven was sure she could feel the pounding in his chest as he hovered above her.

Cynthia stared back into his captivating blue gems. Holding on felt like an instinctive thing to do. She was ready to accept that their growing attraction was unavoidable. Cynthia felt herself start leaning her lips forward.

Unable to help himself, Steven met her lips halfway and kissed her trying to fight back his passions taking over and making it too strong too fast. However, She felt her arms pull him in closer with desire for more. No longer holding back he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled them closer as he deepened the kiss.

The next morning, Steven woke up to the sound of a consistent ringing. He had been so comfortable with the warmth on his chest he just wanted it to stop. Without looking at who was calling he reached over to the nightstand where he found his phone and answered it. "Hello," he grumbled however when he heard who responded his eyes widened. "Mother! Sorry yes, I had just woken up... I am aware what time it is but one day of sleeping in isn't the-yes mother I know you guys are worried but I-"

Steven felt the warmth tighten around his chest and started to stir. He looked down and remembered what had happened last night when he saw the blonde champion resting her head on his chest. How she got even more beautiful escaped him.

Cynthia's eyes opened and met his gaze. What started out with a confused expression turned into a smile although a blush crept on her face realizing both of their lack of clothing.

Steven couldn't help but smile back. He was too distracted by the woman in front of him that he realized she had made him temporarily speechless. Finally, his mother regained his attention by getting somehow even more worried about him. "Sorry, Mom. Yes, I'm here but I'm gonna have to call you back. I love you." He quickly hung up the phone and placed it back on the nightstand. "Good morning," he said turning back to him.

A twinkle of mischief sparkled in her eyes. Cynthia smiled as she suppressed her smirk. "Good morning s-"

"I know that look. Cynthia, it was such a sweet moment. You don't know how long I've waited to wake up next to you. You can't really do this to me" He begged knowing she was never going to stop tormenting him about this.

Cynthia couldn't help but smirk. "I was just going to say Good morning," she leaned up to his ear. "Slugger."

Steven rolled his eyes and flipped her over so he was hovering above her. "You just have to stop calling me that."

Cynthia batted her eyelashes as he took a familiar dominant position. "What are you going to do about it?" she purred.

Steven smirked and crashed his lips into hers passionately. It would have been very seductive if he hadn't hit his nose too hard against her. "Shit! Ow!" he said groaning definitely having forgotten about his broken bone. He moved off her and pinched his temple at the edge of the bed

Cynthia frowned and moved beside him. She inspected his nose and realized it was bleeding again. "Oh, Steven. What are we going to do with you?"

Steven couldn't help but laugh. This was never how he expected this moment going but he wouldn't change it. "One day I'll get myself together. I promise. But as for right now, I think the first aid kit is calling my name," he teased with a wink. He stood up and put on his pants that lay next to the bed before moving to the bathroom in search of a first aid kit.

Cynthia smiled and shook his head. The endearing man had captured her heart despite his unusual antics.


	14. Caffeinated

**I had a lot of fun writing this one. Thanks for all your support.**

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Cynthia sighed as she called back her pokémon in the Pokémon League training room. They had a challenger at the Elite Four that day but unfortunately, the trainer hadn't even made it past Aaron. Sometimes she almost wished they'd beat her colleagues so there'd be a little variation to her work week. However, this was nothing new which is why she thought spending her day training would be enjoyable and productive. Once the trainer had left Cynthia figured it was time to go home seeing as though it was already 8 o'clock. She left the building with the intent of just heading back to her apartment.

"Hey love, it's time to go!" A familiar voice said as it dashed past her, grabbing Cynthia's hand on the way and started pulling her along.

Cynthia blinked with confusion as she went from standing to running in a matter of seconds. It rightfully startled her at first until she noticed the blue hair of the man pulling her, realizing it was her boyfriend.

Steven's attire was unusually relaxed. His button-up shirt was untucked and his tie hung loosely around his neck. Steven never complained when he had to go to work for his father's company. He had been trained to be a respectable businessman from a very young age, since he was the heir to Devon corp after all. For the most part, he really enjoyed it. Steven also never minded when he was asked to go to the Sinnoh branch headquarters because that meant seeing his beloved girlfriend. However, for the entire week he was there he had been through the roof with paperwork and he just couldn't manage to get a chance to see her, let alone get much time to sleep. That's why when he was finally finished with all his work he had a sudden burst of energy that he wanted to share with Cynthia. The energy might also have to do with all the coffee he had been drinking for a week straight to keep him productive but either way, he was excited to be together. Steven couldn't forget the other reason he was so set on seeing Cynthia on this trip. There was an important discussion he wanted to have with his girlfriend while he was there in person with her. However, Steven decided to temporarily push the serious topic to the back of his mind so he could have some fun after a difficult week.

Cynthia was shocked by the way he was acting. It was always quite amusing to see Steven be super spontaneous since he was a very logical and organized man for the most part. She couldn't help but notice the bags under his eyes despite all his energy. There was a good chance he was going to crash at some point tonight. The thought made her laugh internally at all the times she had found Steven had passed out in awkward places. However, despite her undeniable excitement, Cynthia was curious as to why she was being pulled as well as desiring a proper greeting since it had been a couple weeks since they had seen each other. "Hold up Steven! What's going on? Where are you pulling me," she said as she dug her heels into the ground causing them to halt.

Steven's eyes widened when he was held back from running. He turned back around and couldn't help but be awestruck at his stunning girlfriend now that he was actually standing still long enough to take her in. His mind was racing with thoughts of her beauty. _How did someone with such wavy hair, always keep it so neat and lovely at that length? Wow her lips always look so soft. I love her outfit today. It plays with her usual style but the embellishments on her blouse really compliment her signature coat._ Once Steven realized he had just been staring for a few moments he chuckled at himself before using her hand to bring her closer to his chest. "My apologies my love. I'm sorry for the abrupt greeting that was terribly rude of me." He pressed his lips to her hand and then used his other hand to cup her cheek.

Cynthia couldn't help but blush because was definitely caught off guard by the way he was acting. Steven was always charming that was a given. However, she had been gifted in getting to know the nerdy and awkward version of her boyfriend that not everybody got to see. His confidence certainly had her flustered though and resulted in her not being able to respond.

Steven noticed her silently calculating things in her head. He smiled and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "You look absolutely breathtaking by the way. Is this a new blouse? I don't think I've seen it before," he hummed before brushing away her beautiful locks so he could expose the skin on her neck. Steven began pressing kisses on the area he was very aware she was sensitive to. "It's very enchanting."

Cynthia breath hitched at the sensation against her skin. Her hand squeezed the one that was still in her own in order to release some of what she was feeling. "What has gotten into you today?"

Steven smiled against her skin and lingered his lips teasingly a few moments longer before lifting up his head. "Well you see, I've been tormented by being so close to you for so long on this trip but unable to see you." He glanced down at their hands and calmed down slightly. Of course, Steven loved charming her but he was still very much exhausted and couldn't keep it up much longer. "Also I think I was going a bit stir crazy being in the office that long... but I got it done early and am completely free."

"Ahhh I see," Cynthia said at his true explanation. Her arms wrapped around her neck and she pulled him into a warm embrace. She had really missed this. "I'm just happy you are finally with me now."

Steven felt himself relax at her touch and reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm happy to be here. Really really happy," he said resting his head on hers. His burst of energy had prevented him from remembering how amazing just holding each other could be.

Cynthia was very content since this was all she really wanted. After a few moments, she pulled away and smiled. "Okay, now that that's out of the way where were you taking me?"

Steven's eyes widened as he recollected his brilliant plan. "Right! Well, I was going to take you somewhere if that's okay?"

"I gathered that based off the whole pulling me along thing," Cynthia teased as she noticed his expression. "But you're not going to tell me where our destination is, are you?"

Steven grinned at the Sinnoh champion's ability to read him without him saying a thing. He nodded proudly. "Precisely."

Cynthia chuckled and shook her head. "How do you have something planned? It's my home region!"

Steven smirked and winked at her. "I didn't make the rules, love."

Cynthia held onto him as they flew on his Metagross to a nearby field that was barren of trees or and buildings. There was a perfectly clear view of the night sky. She accepted his hand when he offered to help her off the steel pokémon. Once she was on the ground she tried to scope out the surroundings, to figure out his reason to bring him here. "You planning on killing me and ditching my body here, or something?"

Her absurd joke caught him off guard causing Steven to pause and tilt his head. "Excuse me?"

Cynthia chuckled at his expression before taking his hand. "It's a joke relax," she teased smiling at him. Whatever it was she trusted that she'd enjoy it since he had seemed so excited.

Steven squeezed her hand in response. "The thought did cross my mind but I like having you around too much to do something like that," he teased back with a wink. Steven brought them to the center of the field and laid out a blanket from inside his backpack, for them. "Sooooooooo," he said gesturing to the blanket excitedly.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow and stared at what he had set up and then him. "What am I missing?" She was completely lost, to say the least.

Steven checked his watch before smirking excitedly as he sat down on the blanket and laid down on one side of it. He patted the spot next to him for her to follow.

Cynthia took off her coat and laid next to him. When she looked up at the sky it seemed like your average Sinnoh night until a sudden a bright light shot across. Her eyes widened as she realized they were meteors. "Wow." She was in awe as more started crossing the sky.

Steven wrapped an arm around her as he continued to look up. "See, I told you we had somewhere to go."

Cynthia nodded and moved her head to his chest to embrace him closely as they watched.

After an hour of an amazing show, she noticed Steven had grown silent and his chest moved at a rhythmically slow pace. Cynthia picked her head up to see if he was alright only to realize he had fallen into a slumber. _Awh babe._ She was so completely and madly in love with him. It was so endearing of him to plan this even though he was clearly worn out. Although, if she had realized he had fallen asleep, she wouldn't have moved so suddenly knowing very well her boyfriend was a light sleeper.

His blue eyes foggily opened at the movement and were met with her twinkling grey ones. After a moment of perplexion, he noticed that there were now clouds blocking their view of the sky and he remembered where they were. His eyes widened and he shot up to a seated position with a blush across his cheeks. "I am so so so sorry I must have dozed off."

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh at his frazzled state and pressed a kiss to his lips. "No, you must be exhausted." She gently brushed some of his out of place hairs back. "To be honest… I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did."

Steven chuckled and nodded at the comment knowing the truth in it. "But did you like the meteors? I swear I have only been out for a little while... at least I think.

Cynthia nodded sincerely. "They were beautiful. Thank you for this. I really needed something like this."

Steven's smile twitched remembering his decision he wanted to announce to her. There was no way of predicting how'd she'd handle the life-changing news.

Cynthia had been too blissful to notice any alteration to the mood. "Were you planning on going back to your hotel tonight? Obviously, I'd love to have you at my place though and it's much closer to where we are now?"

Steven didn't mean to ignore her question he just knew he had to talk to her about this right then. "Sure um whatever you want is fine... Hey um can I talk to you about a serious topic first?"

Cynthia frowned at the change in his tone. His previous confidence had vanished in a matter of moments. Her heart started beating nervously as she leaned back to watch him carefully. "Yeah… Is everything okay?"

Steven sighed at her reaction knowing he had scared her. "No no please don't worry. Everything is alright um... I just wanted to inform you about something... well a decision I am planning on making but it kind of would change our relationship some..." He was sure doing a poor job at not scaring her. Steven couldn't help but become even more nervous himself. He was right though. This would change their relationship. What if she'd disapprove? Steven took a well needed deep breath to build up his courage. "I think I'm going to move to Sinnoh and take over the Devon Corp branch here."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at him, since what he had said seemed completely illogical because of his position in Hoenn. "That doesn't make any sense. How are you going to tend to your Champion duties from here?"

Steven swallowed hard and looked down. There was no turning back now. "Because... Because I'm going to resign.."

Cynthia's eyes widened. She knew he had grown exhausted managing his title along with helping with his father's company, as well as his burning passion of exploring and excavating rocks. It was obvious that after years of maintaining his title he was ready for something more, but was Devon Corp full time going to be any better? She slowly nodded as she tried to process everything. "I knew Devon Corp was an inevitable path for you. However, I'm surprised you are rushing into it so quickly. I mean look at how you acted today. You were dying to get out."

Steven looked back up at her response. He was surprised at how calm she was handling it and that she was focussed on his happiness rather than on him giving up the title. "You see though, that's how I feel after being at the Hoenn Pokemon League but worse. I love the Elite Four, region, and all I've accomplished there but..." He trailed off and took her hands in his own before squeezing them for his own sake. "I can work from home and delegate work so I won't have to go in as much as you might think. I love the Sinnoh Underground and it would be a change from what I've been doing for years... Plus I'd get to be here with you."

His last comment made her frown and shake her head. "Please don't make this decision because of me. I love you but I want you to decide this because you want to for yourself, not me."

Steven understood what she had said but disagreed because she was such a big part of his life. He wanted their relationship to be a priority and a larger portion of his life. Sure they talked constantly and had frequent visits but if they couldn't stay long distance forever if they truly wanted to be satisfied. Steven was certain Cynthia was the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with. "I do want this. I truly think I'm ready for this next chapter of my life, which does include you but I'm also doing this because it will make me happier."

Cynthia took a deep breath as she saw how passionate he felt about the subject. She knew he was meant for more than being the Champion. He wasn't meant to be someone with the same routine for the rest of his life. Plus Steven never made decisions without thinking everything out beforehand. It seemed like he had a strong plan since he wasn't just coming here with the intent of not working. He was much more responsible than that. That's why she trusted he could find his peace here in Sinnoh. She just hoped he would get more breaks than he had this week at Devon Corp. "Well, of course, I support you. That's a given. You've been the champion for so long. It's time to change things up. I get it." Cynthia leaned into his lips and kissed him gently. "Let me know what I can do to help."

Steven couldn't help but smile in relief against her lips. How lucky was he to be with a woman like her? "I will I promise." After she pulled away Steven couldn't help but pull her back in and kiss her again and again. He was beyond thrilled at how well that had gone. Steven should have known she'd understand since nobody knew him the way she did. "Thank you. I don't know what'd I do without you."

Cynthia as she was peppered with kisses. "I know," she teased before pushing him back against the blanket. She kissed him deeper this time with much more passion as the moon shined above them.

Steven let her hover above him as she extended the kiss. His hands went to her back to keep her near. Clearly, she wanted revenge for how he had gotten adorably flustered earlier. Steven would have been happy to let her when he realized he had one more thing to ask. "Wait! I have another question for you!"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. "Okaaayy?" she asked sceptically.

Steven smiled wide as he stared at how the moon radiated against her now glowing blonde hair. "Well you see I was thinking. Since I'd be living in Sinnoh and you also live in Sinnoh. What if we lived in Sinnoh... together?"

Cynthia blinked before her smile matched the size of his. The thought of spending every day together made her heart race with excitement. She wondered with their long distance relationship if they ever would be able to take the next step but with him changing his life and making her a bigger part of it they finally would able to. "Absolutely! Wow! That'd be amazing!"

Steven beamed up at her and cupped her cheeks with both her hands. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just like you, my-"

Cynthia rolled her eyes at the return of his behavior from earlier in the evening. She cut him off by pulling him in with his loose tie and crashing their lips together passionately. She definitely did want vengeance for earlier.


	15. All Grown Up

**Woooo another chapter! I'm so happy with this one and I am continuing this at some point. I already have more written but decided it was best to break it up. It might not be the next chapter but it is coming! I really hope you guys like it. Thanks for all the support.**

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Steven did not get an ounce of sleep that night. Not one bit. He dreaded the morning light. Pain filled his lungs with every breath he took. He just stared at the bare ceiling as scenarios tormented his mind. His only comfort was his wife's arms that were wrapped around him and her face pressed to his chest. He was relieved he'd managed to help calm her down enough for her to get some sleep since she was as much a wreck as he was. _Couldn't she just stay here for the rest of her life?_ It was completely selfish and hypocritical since when he was his daughter's age he was dying to go out on his own adventure. However, now that he was a father he feared all the awful possibilities that could happen. How was it safe to send out his ten-year-old daughter out on her own into a huge region?

Steven turned his head and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 6 o'clock. Jade insisted on leaving at precisely 8 o'clock with hopes of getting to Sandgem Town as early as she could. He decided now would be a good time to start breakfast. She should have a big meal before going out on the journey. He didn't know the next time she'd eat a good meal and that in itself was terrifying. Steven closed his eyes as he kissed his wife's head and embraced her closer for one more moment. He wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't for her. Finally, he forced himself out of bed by gently moving her arm away and moving out of her grasp. He made sure the blanket was wrapped around her before he got dressed. Maybe she'd get an extra hour of sleep that he knew she so badly desired.

After putting on his normal attire for around the house, which was a pair of black jeans and a purple button-down, he headed down the stairs. A starly had already started chirping outside on their porch and while most mornings he enjoyed the songs of the bird that day he really wasn't in the mood for something so cheerful. It meant the day was finally here. He started making coffee before pulling out some kitchen supplies. As a way to distract himself, he planned to make some waffles, eggs, fruit and really anything he could possibly think of to feed his family. Despite all his attempts, his thoughts wandered back to the conversation that had been discussed during the previous night's dinner.

 _Cynthia was going over the proper route to the lab despite Jade being able to recite every turn and route she was going to have to take._

 _Steven nodded as his daughter finished rehearsing the route for probably the twelfth time. He had been letting his wife do most of the talking being the more forward of the two. However, when he caught Jade glancing at him with a worried expression he attempted to speak for her own sake. "Oh... we have plenty of potions and other supplies around the house, you should probably take some with you before you..." Leave, go, grow up. He couldn't finish his sentence with any of those thoughts._

 _Jade sighed and shared a look with her mother before inhaling deeply. Her expression was filled with determination He knew it all to well since he had seen her mother make the same face many times before. "Dad, I think it would be most beneficial if I was forced to do this on my own. Pay for things myself. No special treatment. Now don't get me wrong, I would be nothing without all the things both of you have taught me, however, I think I should take the bare minimum and have to earn it myself. I want to prove myself to be a strong trainer without any advantages because of who I am."_

 _Steven's eyes widened as he felt very conflicted. He remembered making a similar announcement to his parents just like she had. Hearing his words come out of his daughter scared him almost as much as hearing his father's words come out of himself. But it was different this time. This time it was his little girl… The perfect blend of Cynthia and himself. Blonde hair, blue eyes. An intelligent scholar. He was really taking this hard. He couldn't force the tools on her because she was right she had to learn to be independent. After moments of pause, Steven nodded. "Alright," he said faintly before focusing on the food in front of him. He didn't say much else that night._

"I should have known you'd be up this early, Dad," said a cheery voice from behind. Jade appeared at the bottom of the steps wearing a teal overall dress with a black t-shirt underneath. In her hair was two hair clips that her mother had given her. They resembled the ones Cynthia often wore except hers matched the color of the dress she was wearing. Cynthia found them when her grandmother had passed and her sister, Violet and her were going through the house. Violet suggested to give them to Jade since they were her favorite color. Ever since they became a signature part of her attire.

Steven attempted a weak smile as he turned around. His daughter was luckily an early riser like him. They'd often spend mornings together since Cynthia had a tendency to sleep in. They'd discuss geology or some of his old tales when he was a trainer adventuring Hoenn with her Uncle. He really treasured those early mornings together and soon they'd be gone. "Nor am I surprised you are up."

Jade nodded trying to suppress all of her nerves. She hadn't gotten any sleep either. Though she'd never tell her parents that because they'd insist that she stay until she got a full night's rest. Excitement filled her veins. She had looked forward to this day practically her entire life. She was the daughter of two champions, well one former, after all. Sure, there was a tremendous amount of pressure for her to be great and she needed to live up to it. Despite worrying about following in her parents' footsteps, she knew that she'd find her way. Beldum floated around her excitedly knowing what day it was too. It followed her one trip while they were in Hoenn last year and she managed to convince her parents to let her keep it. Her father said they were usually very hard to catch but that one was so eager which is why she loved it so much because she knew it loved her back.

The passion in her daughter's eyes caused Steven to move his attention back to the eggs he was currently making. He didn't want to take away her excitement. "My apologies, I almost forgot to wish you a Happy birthday, Jade." He suppressed his voice from cracking very skillfully.

Jade's expression softened as she observed her father. "Thank you. It's the big one," she joked mostly to herself. She walked over to the counter and started washing the fruit. Truth is she wanted to figure out how her father was handling things. "Oh wow, this all looks delicious. You didn't have to go to all the trouble with this."

Steven shook his head and waved his hand. "Nonsense. Who knows what you're going to eat while you're…" He trailed off not ready to accept finishing his statement out loud yet.

Jade studied her father while he refused to make eye contact. She had never seen him this distant. "So I'm planning to visit lots of different parts of the underground while I'm on my journey. I'm really looking forward to checking out the underground at Mt. Coronet. You said you really enjoyed that area right?" The Underground was one of his favorite places in Sinnoh. This would definitely spark a conversation like their usual ones.

Steven nodded and smiled faintly as he continued to focus on the flipping a pancake. "You'll really enjoy it there. Just be careful…" His voice lacked enthusiasm or any kind of emotion. He couldn't help but get caught up in his thoughts. Steven tried to recall every conversation with his daughter trying to think if there was anything he had forgotten to tell her.

Jade was ready to call an ambulance because her father, the Underground enthusiast and stone expert, was not going into an in-depth conversation like they usually would for hours. She just wanted to get through to him. As the big day approached he exchanged fewer and fewer words. Her mother had pulled her aside a few days ago and asked Jade to be patient with her father, however, she knew this would keep eating at him if they didn't just get the conversation out of the way. She placed the fruit in a bowl before turning to him dead on. "Dad… are you going to be alright? I hate that I'm the cause of all your pain. Do you think I'm not ready yet? Would you rather me wait another year? If you feel this strongly then... then I'm willing to push it back."

Had he really been that selfish? He couldn't believe the words out of his daughter's mouth. Steven felt like he had failed her by shutting her out and making her believe that this was her fault. His daughter was clearly seeking his approval and all he'd done was mope around. "Of course I'm going to be okay. This isn't your fault... at all," he said leaning against the counter to face her. He rubbed his neck as he looked at her identical blue eyes as his. "I'm just worried that's all. I can't believe you're already going on your journey. I know you are more than capable of handling yourself and I truly am excited to hear about your adventures. I just think…I just know, I'm really going to miss having you around and I can't believe-" His voice finally cracked and his eyes went watery. "I can't believe you are all grown up."

Jade had always been told that she had the same smile as her father. Her parents didn't like it when Uncle Wallace would tell her that her smile could get her whatever she wanted in life just like her father. Either way, her lips curled up at Steven. "Oh, Dad." She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm going to be around. It's not like you and mom don't live in this region and travel it almost every day. We are bound to meet up sooner than I'd probably like," she teased earning a sincere smile from her father. "Besides you'll see me at next year's Lily of the Valley Conference."

Steven smirked at the ten-year-old's words. Boy, was he glad he wasn't a champion that'd have to take on the wrath of his daughter. That'd be one hell of a battle. "Oh I'm sure I will," he said sincerely. Cynthia and he knew their daughter was destined for greatness but she had the potential to be successful in so many different fields. However, they should have known that it would be the champion title she'd be after. She was the daughter of two after all. Steven hugged her closer not wanting to know the feeling of letting go.

However, he was forced to when the smoke alarm started going off. "Huh?" He noticed the burning egg on the pan. "Crap!" He rushed for the fire extinguisher and started shooting the smoke at the stove. Steven was very aware that his wife would make him a dead man for this lack of judgement.

Jade immediately opened all the windows and started to fan the smoke out. Waking her mother up against her will was never a good idea. Ever. She was scared of the consequences of something this loud this early in the morning.

Once they finally managed to get the alarm to stop the two stared at each other for a few moments. It could have been because of how their sentimental moment was interrupted or nervousness for their possible doom but the two burst out into laughter.

Cynthia who had woken up from a fire alarm at an ungodly hour grumbled as she walked down the stairs in her black robe. She definitely had at least five more minutes of time to sleep. "Why the f-" She stopped when she saw her husband and daughter in a laughing fit. Truth be told she truly thought Steven was going to spend the entire day sulking. He had been taking it very hard so to see him laughing with his daughter made her sigh contently. "I think I'll just go get dressed," she whispered before she tiptoed back upstairs to get dressed.

Once they finally stopped laughing Steven wiped his eyes from earlier tears, smoke, and laughing so hard before he moved the food that wasn't burnt to the table. There was plenty that wasn't completely ruined.

Finally, the third Stone member made their presence known. "Good morning." The blonde arrived downstairs in a blue blouse.

Steven and Jade shared a nervous glance. "Good morning," Steven said moving to his wife to kiss her cheek. He'd take the sacrifice so his daughter wouldn't have to. Besides, it was his fault.

Cynthia returned the smile but only with a look in her eyes that he could read. 'Why the fuck was the fire alarm going off?'

Steven continued to smile sheepishly. He took her hands into his own. "My aren't you looking absolutely beautiful, radiating and forgiving all at once."

Jade surpressed her laugh at her father's usual bit as she finished setting the table.

Cynthia rolled her eyes at Steven deciding they'd talk about what happened later. "Yeah yeah," she said before going over to her daughter. "Happy Birthday! I can't believe the day is finally here!" She hugged her daughter close.

Jade hugged her mother back closely. "Thank you, Mom. I'm so excited!"

Steven sighed contently watching his two favorite girls. He just wished it could stay like this a little while longer. Alas, it was time for him to accept the change.

After they finished breakfast they all went to the door. It was time. Jade had gone upstairs to retrieve her bag. Steven's eyes widened when what his father did right before he left. "Hold on there is something I have to get." He ran to the library while his daughter returned downstairs to exchange a confused glance with her mother. He scanned the shelves knowing the exact book he wanted. "Aha!" he said remembering the red cover well. Steven pulled it out and smiled while brushing off the dust before rushing out the door. He bent down so he was eye level with his daughter and presented her with the book. "So right before I left for my journey my father gave me this book. It isn't a guide. It isn't academic. It's a novel about a boy who goes on a journey and the decisions they make throughout. Every decision and every interaction has an impact. You'll see. I think that's why he gave it to me and why I liked it so much. I know you are going to be busy focusing on your battles. It would just mean a lot if you took this with you whether you have a chance to read it or not. I don't know if my father intended this to be a tradition but I think it'd be a nice one to start."

Jade's eyes widened as her father handed her the book. The blonde hair girl had been raised on a passion for learning. Books were so important to them. When she was very little they'd read her bedtime stories until she was old enough to read on her own (at a strangely young age). This allowed her to partake in amazing discussions with her parents where they treated her like they were on their level. No opinion was discounted because of her age or their parental status. She said she wanted nothing for her birthday but this was so special. "Of course, Dad thank you so much," she said pulling him into a tight hug.

Steven hugged her tightly wanting this moment to never end. "Of course Happy Birthday Jade."

Cynthia smiled at the scene in front of her. Two of the most important people to her. She chuckled when her daughter gestured her to join the hug. There was no way she'd turn that down. She went over and wrapped her arms around them.

Cynthia and Steven stood at the doorway with tears in their eyes. Jade stood in front of her childhood home. All the memories started flooding back to her. She'd been truly blessed to have such amazing parents.

Steven felt his heart grip in his chest since the moment had arrived. It resulted in him unconsciously grabbing his wife's hand for support. When she squeezed his hand he finally felt like he could speak. "Remember you're going to-"

"Call whenever I'm a PokeCenter," the ten-year-old finished with a bright smile. "I know. I know."

Cynthia swallowed hard as tears escaped her eyes. "And if you're ever in trouble-"

"I first contact the police but then as soon as I can both of you and if you don't pick up contact anyone I know from the local areas," Jade smiled. "You guys have already drilled this. I got this."

Both parents looked at each other before nodding.

Jade started walking away and waved as she went with her Beldum following beside her.

Steven brushed his thumb across his wife's hand as he tried to hold back his tears. She was about halfway to the woods when he remembered there was one thing that had been bothering him that he'd almost forgot to tell her. "By the way... if any boy… or girl... you can be into whoever you want...but either way if anyone so much as-"

Cynthia rolled her eyes knowing exactly where he was going. Her hand slid to his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Steven, honey, I love you but just stop."

Jade looked back at him with a perplexed expression. There was no way her father would be 'that type' of dad. Luckily her mom was there to stop him. She let out a sigh of relieved and waved one more time before continuing on her way.

They watched Jade until she was completely out of sight. Steven couldn't help but continue to gaze. He hoped for her happiness and success but most of all her safety on her journey. He was proud of the person she was growing up to be. Despite his acceptance, he couldn't rid himself of his pain.

"Alright move it, mister!" Cynthia demanded as she dragged him inside.

Steven raised an eyebrow following his wife. He had to make an effort to keep up with her pace or he'd definitely trip. "Cynthia, what's going on?"

Cynthia continued to pull him up the stairs to their bedroom. She opened the door and brought them in. "I knew today was going be super depressing which is why we are staying in bed all day. I've got ice cream in the freezer. Plenty of movies lined up. A burning love for you." She gently sat him down on the bed.

Steven blinked as he processed what was going on. He felt her arms wrap tightly around his neck.

Cynthia pressed a long kiss to the side of her head. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

Steven finally curved his arm around her waist and held her close. "I know. She's going to do great things. It's just a new step in her life."

"It's a new step in all our lives," Cynthia hummed while she twirled his hair between her fingers. She gazed at her husband looking at the man he'd become. Still same physique and handsome from head to toe. Just wiser with age. She couldn't help but chuckle.

Steven raised an eyebrow at the change in emotion. "What's so funny?"

Cynthia couldn't help but smile wryly. "I don't know I was just thinking about when I was 18 and I saw that this heartthrob had just become the champion of Hoenn. There were all these magazines talking about the dark mysterious quiet man who was named bachelor of the year for what? 3 years in a row."

Steven rolled his eyes at his wife's favorite topic to tease him about. "Oh yes. The dark mysterious hunk now cries over his daughter. I see where this is going. Ha ha ha very funny Cynthia," he mocked back.

Cynthia smirked and kissed his jaw lovingly. "You are the one who called yourself a hunk," she teased.

Steven smiled smugly and winked. "Well, you can't say I'm wrong." He was not going to let her have all the fun. "If I'm not mistaken there were some magazines you were on too. And what about that-"

Cynthia put a hand over his mouth knowing her husband's favorite topic to tease her about. That damn video of her participating in a contest. "It was one time and I regret the day I ever introduced you to my sister for showing you the video."

Steven took her hand and placed a kiss on the top of it. He gently moved it and began to kiss Cynthia down her neck. "It was beautiful I promise," he hummed close to her ear. My had the years gone by. They both met when he was 21 and she was 19. They were married by the time they were 25 and 23. Then had Jade the next year. Now she was off on her first journey on her own. However, somehow Cynthia didn't age a day. She was even more beautiful and stronger than when they had first met.

Cynthia hummed before pushing him onto his back and smiling above him. "Bed all day."

Steven cupped her cheeks gazing at the woman. He wouldn't argue with her request. "Whatever, you say my love."


	16. Best Day Ever

**A continuation of Steven and Cynthia's daughter going out on her journey. Once again I have plans to come back to it whether it's the next update or not. I have quite a bit of it written out as well as many other chapters. As always your feedback and support** means **the world to me and that being said I hope you guys enjoy.**

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"I knew I was in trouble when I heard Steven Stone was the one coming to this meeting," the representative of a small but growing business in Eterna City said shaking his head.

Steven had taken over Devon Corp earlier that year when his father retired and this was a crucial deal he needed to make. He needed to show he was a serious CEO. Although Steven was very much a free spirit his business skills had been deeply engrained in him. This company would flourish under Devon Corp which meant the representative couldn't say no to the numbers he was projecting. Steven flashed a charming smile in response to the man's words. "So does that mean we have a deal," he asked extending his hand.

The representative chuckled and shook his hand. "You have yourself a deal."

Steven was calm and cool on the outside. Inside he was obviously a total dork. _Oooh, I'm good._ "That is fantastic news!" It did give him a thrill making deals. Sure the paperwork was a drag but he loved the game of it all. Somehow it rarely seeped into his personality with his friends and family though. His father had always been good at separating business and family as well.

After all the paperwork was signed. Steven left the building with a bright smile on his face. He didn't think today could get any better.

"I just knew I'd run into one of you here!"

His eyes widened. He knew that voice anywhere. "Oh thank Arceus," he breathed out snapping his head to see his ten-year-old daughter running toward him. Jade had kept all her promises about calling whenever she could. Apparently, she had already beaten Roark and gotten her first gym badge. The home was a little empty without her but it was still filled with love because of his wife. Like they said before it was a new chapter and it wasn't a bad thing. That didn't mean he still didn't miss her dearly. When the blonde girl reached her father, he immediately enveloped her into a tight hug.

Jade who couldn't help but be excited herself, hugged him back. She had grown a lot stronger since he'd last seen her. Her Beldum was levelling up quickly. In Floaroma town, a baby Budew became infatuated with her so she had started training it. It had already evolved into a Roselia since their bond was becoming strong. Then after finding a fossil in the underground, she got it extracted and added a Shieldon to her team. One thing was for sure she had not only grown a lot stronger but also a lot taller.

When Steven pulled his daughter back to take her in his eyes widened. "You're taller! How did you get this tall in a month?" His heart felt pulled as he mentally questioned how this was even physically possible.

Jade couldn't help but chuckle and roll her eyes. "Dad it's not even by that much."

Steven shook his head. "It's like two inches! I know because you used to be here next to me," he said holding his hand to his chest.

Jade offered a sympathetic smile and shrug. Of course, he knew exactly how tall she had been before. "Anyways, do you have time to get lunch?" Truth was, Jade was a bit nervous to take on Gardenia, her next gym leader and didn't mind spending some time with her father.

Steven, of course, was thrilled so they found a sandwich shop nearby. Dad's treat of course. Once they ordered food, a smile couldn't help but form on his face. "So can I see it?"

Jade grinned, knowing exactly what he was talking about. She eagerly pulled out her badge case from her bag. Inside the Coal, Badge sparkled brightly. "There it is." It was a tough battle but she ended up victorious in the end. Despite this, she still had lots of doubts about her abilities as a trainer.

 _That's my girl._ He couldn't help but approvingly nod. "Great work. Roark is no easy competition." Jade was not the only one to inform Steven and Cynthia about obtaining her first gym badge. They received a call from Roark himself saying he had never seen such potential before. It was a very proud moment for the both of them and they were sure that wouldn't be the last time someone informed them of their daughter's strength.

After a moment, her smile faded remembering her need for some guidance. Jade's gaze drifted down to the badge. "I can't help but feel behind, though. I should at least have had my third badge by now."

Steven frowned at his daughter's disappointed expression. She had always been humble but confident so it was upsetting to see her so down on herself. "Nonsense," he said while he waved his hand to dismiss her doubts. "You know this adventure isn't just about how quickly you move through it. It's about what you learn along the way. Take days to explore the underground. Go into museums. Hell..." He paused. He had gotten carried away and felt bad since he tried to avoid that kind of language in front of his daughter. "I... um... mean heck, go try a contest out. By taking your time and experiencing everything this region has to offer you will learn techniques you can apply to your battles. Does that make sense?"

Jade rolled her eyes when her father censored himself. Sometimes she wondered if he remembered she wasn't a child anymore. However, she still took in his words since he had good points about applying knowledge from other activities to battling. Despite understanding the former champion's advice, another sigh escaped her lips. "I think everyone just expects so much from me being the kid of…" She didn't need to finish her statement knowing he'd get it.

Steven looked down knowing what it was like to have high expectations for your future. He was the heir to a huge company and there was always going to be a lot to live up to. "Don't let anyone else's expectations get in the way of your own destiny. Your mother and I… well we are very aware one day you are going to surpass us. But you need to do it your own way and do what you want. Take the path you want to no matter what anyone else has to say."

Jade absorbed the words and nodded slowly. He was absolutely right. She was starting to feel better when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure peering into the restaurant searching for something. "Crap!" she said before ducking her head down and covering her face with the menu.

Steven raised an eyebrow at his daughter's unusual movements before looking to where she had been previously. Outside the window, was a boy who looked about the same age as Jade with a determined expression. His body tensed up. "Who's that?" His voice grew very serious.

Jade swallowed hard. She knew this wouldn't be good. How did she word this without him freaking out? Especially knowing he had been increasingly protective of her toward boys her own age lately...Well, really anyone after his comment before she left for her journey saying it didn't matter if it was a boy or girl she'd be interested in. "Well... it's just this kid… who is...well you see... he's been following me and asking me to battle."

Steven's eyes darkened. _Absolutely. not._ "This boy is following you?!" he exclaimed standing up from his seat. His daughter was being stalked! By a boy! His mind was racing with anger.

Jade lifted her head to give her father a stare to sit down since everyone in the restaurant was now staring because of his outburst. "Dad, please! Remember what you just said. I need to fight my own battles as an individual. Please! He's just a kid not some creepy man. I've beaten him every time so he's really no threat. "

Steven's fist was clenched tight as he slowly sat back down. However, that didn't mean his anger had subsided at all. "No threat?! By accepting this kind of behavior from boys early on in life, it teaches bad habits later on and leads to society allowing men to get away with all sorts of things!"

Jade sighed and tried to suppress her groan. _My father the feminist._ She had to calm him down somehow. "Yes I understand that but surely you don't think it'd be appropriate to get involved. I'm going to be a teenager soon and you don't want me to use this against you in my inevitable rebellion."

His jaw dropped at his daughter's wit. Obviously, she was extremely bright but that was a new level of clever. He couldn't help but laugh and calm down some. Besides he did just tell her to fight her own battles. "Okay. Okay. Fine. However, if it becomes a bigger problem you have to tell me." He shook his head and chuckled again. "That was a good one Jade." She surprised him more and more every day. Certainly was her mother's daughter.

That evening, Steven arrived home later than intended but he wasn't sure if his wife would be back either being the most kick-ass Sinnoh Champion ever and all. _What a wonderful day!_ He got the deal, had lunch with his daughter, and now he got to spend the evening with his wife. He entered their home with a warm expression. "Hello? Most amazing woman in the world? Are you here?" On his way back he decided to pick up a celebratory bottle of wine.

The blonde had been waiting nervously at the table. It had been an interesting day, to say the least. When she heard his chipper tone she was a little relieved but also a little worried to change his mood. "Yes hun, I'm in here."

When he arrived in the kitchen, Steven pressed a long kiss to the side of her head. "Hello, my love. I'm glad you're home. I stopped on my way back from Eterna City and got wine because we have to celebrate!" He wrapped his arms around her neck from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Cynthia couldn't help but smile at his obvious joy. She knew today was a big day for him and his giddiness could only mean one thing. Her body leaned back into him, just wanting to enjoy the affection. "You got the deal, didn't you?"

His eyes twinkled while he grinned. "Of course I did. I'm the best," he joked before kissing Cynthia's cheek.

Cynthia chuckled softly. "Obviously," she teased back. Marriage with Steven had brought her nothing but endless love and pure joy. His excitement toward his passions, family and friends was unmatched. She loved this dork because she knew she was the same. However, she was really scared about what his reaction was going to be to what she had learned today.

Steven's eyes widened as he remembered what else he did today. He sat down in the seat next to her and took one of her hands. Steven couldn't help but continue to grin. "Oh, and guess who I saw today?"

Cynthia squeezed his hand. "Who?"

His thumb brushed her knuckles as it often did out of habit. "Jade! She had just arrived in Eterna City."

Her eyes lit up. She had been wondering when one of them would finally run into their daughter. Despite the phone calls she still really missed Jade so her husband's words were very exciting. "You did?! How is she doing?"

Steven nodded excitedly. "She's doing good. Great actually. She showed me her first gym badge as we caught up over lunch... She was doubting herself a little and said she was a little worried about everyone's expectations for her but I think I helped with that."

Cynthia sighed knowing that her daughter would constantly be compared to Steven and her. Although, Steven was long retired he had been a champion like herself after all. "I hope she knows that no matter what we will support her."

Steven gave her a reassuring smile. "She knows. I promise." He squeezed her hand before his brows furrowed. "Oh and apparently there's a boy following her that always asks her to battle which I do not like but she wants to handle it herself. I told her that wasn't acceptable behavior but she threatened to use this against me in her oncoming teenage rebellion." His lips curled up in amusement. "Can you believe that?"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows before chuckling. "Sounds like her. If it gets worse you have permission to kick his butt."

Steven grinned and nodded. He was very ready to step in at a second's notice. "Thank you." After a moment he looked around and noticed the empty kitchen. It had been Cynthia's night to cook since they tried to take turns so neither one got overwhelmed. However, that didn't mean he didn't mind picking up on her busy days since Cynthia was the Champion of Sinnoh after all. His attention drifted back to her and notice a falter in her emotions which caused his expression to soften. "Hey, how was your day? Are you okay? You seem a little... worried."

Cynthia sighed knowing her husband's ability to read her. It's why she wanted to let him know the news right away. After taking a deep breath her gaze averted downward. "I went to the doctor today…"

His heart dropped as he immediately thought of every worse case scenario. He didn't even know she had an appointment today and the way she was acting was causing him to believe that the news was bad. Sure, he noticed she had seemed a little tired but no alarms went off in his head that something was wrong. "I-Is everything okay?" His words were soft and scared.

Cynthia swallowed hard. _Just tell him. Obviously, he'll be thrilled._ They had discussed the possibility of this. It just wasn't intentional. Finally, she gazed back into his concerned blue eyes and had a gut feeling that everything would be fine. "I'd like to think so… Because I'm pregnant."

The words rung in his ears like a bell. There was a temporary moment of shock that caused him to freeze. Pregnant? Had he heard her right? Once he realized those were, in fact, the words out of her mouth it didn't take long for his lips to curl up as his heart rapidly thud. Deep down he always wanted another child especially with how great Jade came out. Whenever the conversation came up they became too busy to really make the effort. However, now had they been gifted with this while still maintaining their busy lives. "Really?" His hand shook excitedly around Cynthia's.

Cynthia was relieved upon seeing the twinkle return to his eyes. She felt as if she was finally allowed to be excited herself. Her head eagerly nodded as she tears started escaping her eyes. "Really."

A content sigh left his lips as his own eyes started to water. Unable to help himself he cupped her cheeks and brought their lips together passionately. This really was the best day ever.

Cynthia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, unable to stop the tears. Her happiness was overflowing. How could she ever doubt her husband? After they pulled away she kept their foreheads together, sharing their excitement together. "I'm sorry about the wine," Cynthia chuckled.

Steven laughed as he gently brushed away her tears with his thumbs despite his own falling down his face. "Screw the wine! It can wait! Besides, it'll get better with age!" He couldn't stop beaming at the amazing woman that was somehow his partner. Love and admiration weren't strong enough words to describe what she meant to him. Cynthia gave him confidence, inspired him daily, and provided him with a family that was now going to grow. His hands ran down her arms lovingly squeezed them before standing up and going to the kitchen counter. It didn't take long for him to get back to his over-nurturing side that came out during the last pregnancy as well. "Let me make you dinner. You must be starving. I'm sorry. I should have picked something up on my way back instead of stupid wine." How did he not realize something was going on with her? As he mentally hit himself, he frantically searched the fridge for a worthy meal for his wife. " I can still go out! Did I mention I could make whatever you want?"

Cynthia sighed lovingly as she rested her head on her hand to watch him. Steven during her last pregnancy was a little overprotective, to say the least. It was extremely endearing… for the most part. However, she loved him nonetheless. "Let's just order a pizza but don't blame yourself. I didn't even know until today."

After they ordered the pizza Steven had spent about 10 minutes pacing back and forth rambling about the baby nonstop. "So we can turn the guest bedroom into the baby's room… I wonder if it's going to be a boy or girl… I really don't think I have preference… although I have been outnumbered for ten years… Oh my Arceus how is Wallace going to react?! Last time he nearly fainted but then again I had been so spooked… Oh and my parents and your sister and… what about Jade how we are going to tell her…." He paused when he noticed his wife had just been watching him which caused his cheeks to turn a crimson shade. Steven scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm getting carried away."

Cynthia chuckled and stood up wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just a tad but I love you so much for it."

Steven smiled lovingly. "I love you so much." He would have gladly stayed there for hours but they were interrupted by the doorbell.

Cynthia let out a sigh of relief since the cravings had only just begun. "I'm starving!"

Steven chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure you are."


	17. Slump

**A different oneshot from the last two but I will go back to that plot eventually. Thanks for the support and reviews you guys make it all worth it. I love Darksteel so much and I write these stories because I just want it to stay alive. I had a lot of fun with this one so I really hope you guys enjoy.**

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One rainy afternoon in Sinnoh felt particularly dreary. Nothing was exactly going wrong for the champion but for some reason, a dark cloud had been following her for the past couple weeks. Books weren't exciting her and she had already trained her Pokemon since there were no challengers. She didn't feel ill, just very melancholy. That's why she lay in bed staring at the wall in her room at the Pokemon League in complete silence.

However, that silence was broken, when her loud colleague flung open the door. "Guess who's-" Flint froze when he saw the blonde laying in bed fully clothed. All the Elite Four members suspected she wasn't feeling good but no one knew what to do. "You okay, Champ?"

Although being startled Cynthia didn't flinch. Instead, she let out a heavy sigh and sat at the edge of her bed. Her face remained emotionless. "Haven't we told you, that you have to knock?"

He gave her question as much consideration as she gave his own. Instead, Flint crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "You have a visitor!"

Her hand combed through her hair that was out of place from her bed. She shook her head at the Elite Four member that was increasingly aggravating her. "We don't take visitors on weekends that don't make an appointment."

A smirk appeared on the redheads face. "This one you'll want to see."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at him before standing up and leaving her quarters. As she headed to the main foyer uninterested in who had visited since whoever it was should have known to make an appointment. Without looking downstairs to see who was there she began speaking with an authoritative tone. "My apologies for the wait. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to ask you to come back another time since visitors must make appointments before-" She finally noticed who had come to see her.

His blue eyes stared up at the woman on the landing above him. "If that's the case then, I can come back another day if you'd like," Steven teased.

It had been a busy couple months that they had seen each other. Meetings between champions only occurred a few times a year and they both were very busy with their duties in their own regions. However, they considered each other close friends regardless of how often they were physically around. His sincere warmth caught her off guard this time though. After weeks of feeling gloomy, she wasn't sure how to interact with someone like him. Despite her nerves, she went down to the Hoenn Champion and smiled softly. "I think I can make an exception."

A chuckle escaped his lips.

The two resided to the living quarters sitting on either side of the window seat. Her gaze was on the rain outside as she fell into an uncommon silence that never occurred when they were together. Despite being extremely grateful he was there, Cynthia still felt out it.

Steven watched the rain as well but his focus was on the woman beside him. By no means was Cynthia a loud person but usually, she'd be so alive and excited with something she was passionate about. His brows were tense with concern as he glanced back at the window. "Rain has a tendency to come across as depressing. With grey skies and all," he mused breaking the silence. "However, some people view it as a cleansing."

She was taken out of her trance when he started speaking. It took her a moment to reflect on his words before nodding. "I don't know if I've ever really thought about rain that way."

After pausing for a moment, Steven glanced back at her. "Is there something else you've been thinking about then? "

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she brought her legs closer to her chest. None of this made sense. She should have been happy she'd accomplished her dream of becoming a champion or that her research was getting her close to making a breakthrough... or even that he was there with her but yet she still felt melancholy. Her gaze didn't falter from the window since she nervous of his expression. "Do you ever feel sad but you don't really have a reason to be? Is that selfish? I'm one of the biggest people in Sinnoh... yet I can't stop feeling unsatisfied."

It pained him to see her this troubled. However, he understood what she was saying. "Of course it's not selfish. It's natural. Slumps happen for no reason at all." A comforting smile appeared on his face with hopes of helping any way he could. They had taken comfort in each other in the past since they both were able to comprehend the other's life. "But you know the thing about slumps is they don't last forever. You'll get past this."

If only it were that easy. That's when she began to feel guilty that Steven had come all this way for her to mope. A nudge on her arm caused her to look back at him.

Steven was reaching over to get her back to him, still with the same smile on his face."Cynthia I can read you like a book. I'm happy to be here. I promise."

His smile was kind and sincere. It was reassuring in these moments of doubt. She nodded unable to express anything else. "Why are you here anyway?"

Steven gave an easy shrug as he leaned back against the window frame. "Things have been slow in Hoenn... Plus Roark had some things he wanted to show me here in Sinnoh ."

Cynthia nodded once again at his explanation. "I see."

Steven kept a warm gaze on her. "Plus any excuse to get to see you is always a pleasure... Especially outside of those stupid meetings."

Cynthia couldn't help but stare at the man. She never understood why he made such an effort with her. Sure she was also a champion, but she wasn't as extravagant as some of the women she was sure he was used to. He was a legend that could gain the affection of pretty much any woman he wanted... And yet for some reason, he was always there for her. Calling her some evenings to ask her simply how her day was. Asking her on walks after the meetings where they'd end up laughing till dark. Even making surprise visits. Her lips couldn't help but curl up. "Well, I'm glad you are here."

His hand had once again reached over but this time landing on her own hand. "Always."

There was no way to hide the blush that had crept onto her cheeks.

After a peaceful moment of silence, Steven glanced back out the window and his eyes lit up with excitement. "I have an idea!" He stood up and pulled her out of the room.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow as she was brought back downstairs to the front door. She carefully observed him take off his scarf around his neck and his expensive looking suit jacket.

After neatly putting his belongings aside he glanced back at that woman with twinkling blue eyes filled with excitement. He took a deep breath before opening the door to the now pouring rain and walking out into it completely uncovered.

Her jaw dropped as she watched the man get drenched by the water. It was certainly an unusual sight. Especially with how collected he always was. "Steven, what on earth are you doing?"

Steven chuckled as he held out his arms and looked up at the sky. His white button-down was already soaked but yet he didn't seem to care at all. "Come out! It's refreshing! I promise!"

She watched him take on the rain with a tranquil expression. It was as if all his cares were washing away. Her foot inched forward almost as a way to tell her to let go. Don't be satisfied with being numb. She wanted to be with Steven, looking happy and carefree. She continued to inch forward until her own body was being drenched. A gasp left her lips at the initial shock but eventually, it started to feel liberating. Like Steven expressed earlier the rain felt cleansing. After some time, her eyes landed on Steven who had a mischevious smile on his face.

"Yell at the top of your lungs," Steven instructed with authority but still encouragingly.

Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle at his ridiculous request. This was so unlike him. It was an absurd request and would probably seem insane since she was such an important figure in the workplace they were standing in front of. "What?"

Steven chuckled back at her and shook his head. Clearly, she required a demonstration. Before saying anything else he looked up once again at the sky and yelled at the top of his lungs.

Cynthia flinched since she'd never heard anyone yell like that in her life. It was powerful but humorous. She could tell he didn't care how he looked because it brought him joy and ease. Once Steven was finished yelling he burst into laughter which made all her limbs tingle. It was a good hardy laugh. The type that would brighten a room. It always felt like an honor to hear Steven laugh that way. Her body wasn't tense anymore, but instead relaxed which is why she also looked up at the sky and screamed at the top of her lungs. She felt strong. She felt satisfied. She felt free.

Steven was grinning at her as he watched her yell. It was like the mighty Rayquaza, in his eyes. He was really proud of her for doing this with him. It wasn't something he did with just anybody. He'd probably only felt comfortable doing it with Wallace when they were very young and out on their first journey through Hoenn. They had gotten stuck in a rainstorm and decided to at least have some fun with it. Steven wouldn't have wanted to share this moment with anyone else but her. His smile started to fade when he noticed tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Cynthia," He breathed out concerned.

The tears didn't bother Cynthia though because she wasn't upset. It meant she wasn't numb despite sometimes feeling that way. Steven had gotten her out of her slump. That's why she began laughing the same way Steven had before, as more tears mixed with the rain on her face.

Her laughter was a relief to him and had become contagious enough for him to join along. There was so much about that woman that caused her to frequent his mind. He'd stay out there with her for hours if that's what she wished. As long as he could keep her happy.

~Meanwhile upstairs~  
"Oooh look at me I'm the Hoenn dreamboat. Cynthia let's go out into the rain like in the movies. It'll be extremely romantic," Flint impersonated Steven very poorly as the three Elite Four men watched the champions out the window. "Aren't my blue eyes so dreammmmmmy?"

"Oh Steven, thank Arceus, you came. You make me so happy. If only I wasn't such a nimrod to just realize I'm in love with you," Aaron teasingly acted out Cynthia.

Lucian rolled his eyes at the two as he observed their champion as well. The two men next to him might be very idiotic but it was clear that the Sinnoh Champion needed to admit her feelings toward the Hoenn one.

"What's with all this commotion?"

The three men turned their heads to see Bertha enter the room. As Flint and Aaron looked at their feet sheepishly Lucian gestured the woman over to take a look outside herself.

Bertha peaked out the window and saw Cynthia with the Hoenn champion laughing and yelling outside in the rain. A warm smile crossed her face. It was obvious Cynthia was feeling a bit blue but once she heard of Steven's arrival she had a feeling it wouldn't last long. "Ahhhh young love." She looked at the boys and gave them a stern look. "Let's give them their privacy shall we."

Lucian and Bertha pulled the pouting men away from the window. "No, but we have a bet whether they will kiss or not!" Flint yelled.

Bertha rolled her eyes. "This is none of your business."

~Back Outside~

Cynthia noticed Steven had been staring at her with an expression she was unfamiliar with which caused her heart to race the way it had when he had first showed up at the doorsteps. She wondered if she was she looking at him the same way. She hoped so. Their bodies moved closer and closer to each other. Was it desire that was in both of their eyes? It was as if she had no control over herself at that moment. When they were finally inches apart she felt herself say, "Kiss me."

Her invitation shook him since she had never expressed words of attraction before despite him always longing it. After a brief moment of disbelief, he cupped her cheeks and pressed their lips together. Their soaked clothing clung together as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He was right. Slumps don't last forever.

* * *

A sneezing fit echoed the halls of the Hoenn Pokemon League.

Phoebe shook her head at the man who had come back from his trip to Sinnoh with a cold. "I don't see why you love visiting Sinnoh so much when every time you go, you always come back sick."

Steven sneezed once again into his handkerchief before smiling at what had happened a few days prior. "Trust me, it was worth it."


	18. Cookies

**School has certainly picked up and writing has become more and more difficult. However, I do love doing this and want to keep putting stuff out there. It's a short one but I had fun with it. As always thanks for the feedback. You guys rock and I hope you enjoy.**

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"Steven!" The blonde yelled frustratedly after she noticed the bowl of cookie dough had floated over to Steven who was sitting on the counter across the room. At first, she was very confused until she saw her husband's young Beldum floating around him while Steven took yet another finger full of the cookie dough. At this rate, they weren't going to have enough cookies to take to the party tonight. Wallace and Winona were hosting a small gathering later that day and the Stones were in charge of dessert. However, Steven was in a very playful mood that day which was making the whole process of actually making the cookies very difficult.

Did Steven know he was driving her nuts? Absolutely, but he knew her limit and he couldn't help it when she kept making such funny faces while she expressed her frustrations. After the last outburst, he hopped down from the counter with a chuckle and returned Beldum. Steven went over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I'm sorry love, I just can't help it." His head rested on her shoulder.

Cynthia rolled her eyes at the former Hoenn champion and grabbed the bowl. Of course, she found this all very amusing but she'd never give him that satisfaction, especially with the lack of time they had to make the cookies before the party. "Oh my love, you certainly can help it. Instead of eating all that cookie dough you could just help me put it on the tray."

His lips curled into a smirk at her retort. His wife had never been afraid to put him in his place. It was certainly a very attractive trait of hers. Steven brought her hips closer to his and pressed a kiss behind her ear. "I could," he jokingly mused the idea. "Or we could do something else."

It was very obvious what the 'something else' he was insinuating was. While his attempts were very very tempting she knew Winona would be annoyed if these cookies weren't done. "Or we could finish just finish these cookies and get-" Her words were cut off when she felt the kisses go down her neck and one of his hands was creeping up her torso. Cynthia was very strong-willed but Steven knew her like the back of his hand which made the task of focusing on the cookies very hard. Her eyes closed as a hum escaped her lips. Maybe she'd give him a little bit of satisfaction.

As he felt her starting to get distracted by his roaming hand and mouth, the hand that wasn't on her went to the bowl of cookie dough and dragged his finger across it. It was just too easy.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard the sound of the bowl rock on the counter. She turned around and saw him licking his finger with a proud smirk on his face. "Steven Stone, I can't believe you!" Despite her anger and frustration, a laugh escaped her lips. They both worked serious jobs and often had to put on such mature facades for the press. However, that didn't mean they were always like that. They knew how to bring out each other's childish sides.

Steven laughed with her before going to the sink to wash his hands. "Alright, alright, I'm done messing with you. I promise. I'll even finish the cookies." Once he was done he went back to the bowl and proceeded to bunch up the cookies and put them on the tray.

Cynthia shook her head as she smiled at the man. He knew exactly what to do to get her the right level of riled up. Maybe they had some time to spare... Cynthia stood behind him and wrapped her arms around him this time. "You know…" She purred as her hands moved underneath his shirt. "While the cookies are baking we probably have time to do stuff while we pass the time.

His breath hitched as her hands went underneath his shirt. As mischevious as Steven could be, Cynthia could always top it. His control slipped from him just with the sound of her voice. There was nothing more enchanting than his wife, especially when she was seductive. "That's an... um... interesting proposition, dear." He was completely paralyzed by her hands.

As her one hand travelled to his thigh the other one snuck to the bowl. She got some of the cookie dough and smeared it on his cheek. "Ha! Gotcha!"

His jaw dropped when he felt the sticky dough on his face. How did he not see that coming? It was his turn to turn around and see a triumphant smirk. Steven chuckled and brushed off the cookie dough. "I see how it is!" In one swift movement, he picked her up and kissed her passionately.

Her arms and legs wrapped around the blue-haired man. She couldn't help but squeak as he deepened the kiss while carrying her to the bedroom. When he placed her on the bed neither one of them hesitated to remove their clothing.

* * *

"So you show up an hour late… with 10 burnet cookies?" Winona asked the couple standing in front of her, with her hands on her hips

Cynthia and Steven stood there with sheepish smiles. "We got a little a little distracted that's all," Cynthia explained. However, as she did so Steven's hand crept dangerously low down her back Keeping her face calm proved to be very difficult. No matter how many years married the passion never died.

When something else got Winona's attention Cynthia stepped on Steven's foot (not too hard of course). "Steven, I swear," she growled.

Steven winced at the pain in his foot but couldn't help but laugh. "You certainly were swearing earlier."

Cynthia shot him a deadly look but couldn't help the blush on her face. Was she going to strangle him? Potentially. However, she wouldn't want it any other way.

Steven smiled genuinely and took her hand. "Okay, I promise I'm actually done now."


	19. A Trip to Hoenn

**I'm back with a rather long story that takes place in the storyline where Jade the daughter of Cynthia and Steven is out on her first journey. Make sure to check out chapters 15 and 16 so you are caught up on what's going on. I really had a good time writing this story and tried to address some issues I have noticed in Pokemon as well as try and write a story that was different than most the ones you might typically read. Once again thanks for the feedback. It means so much to me. I'm still so busy with school and it's only going to get busier in the upcoming weeks but I will try my best to post on here. So yeah either way I hope you enjoy!**

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It had taken some time for Mr Stone to get used to the retired life. He knew his son was beyond capable of tending to his business after years of preparing him. However, he was just so unsure what to do with all his new free time. Luckily his wife was there to help him find hobbies and plan trips to outside regions. One day the couple was spending their afternoon baking a pie together when the doorbell rang.

Mrs Stone looked away from the pie and raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Were you expecting guests?"

The man shook his head in response. "No, I wasn't. I'll go see who it is," he said quickly washing off his hands from flour before exiting the room. As he pondered who it could possibly be, he opened the door only to become immediately filled with joy.

Steven and Cynthia stood at the doorway with big grins on both their faces. "Surprise!" A few days earlier, Steven had realized he had to travel to Hoenn for some Devon Corp matters. That's when Cynthia had the brilliant idea that she'd tag along so they could tell some of Steven's friends and family about their expected second child. The Sinnoh League wasn't very busy at the moment and it had been such a long time since she'd gotten a chance to visit her husband's home region so she lept at the opportunity to accompany Steven. She was now about two months pregnant but wasn't really showing especially with the black coat hiding her figure.

The elder man's eyes widened. It wasn't every day he saw his son and especially his daughter-in-law for that matter. Steven had to make the trip from Sinnoh sometimes for work so they'd get to see him then but Cynthia had such a busy schedule with her champion duties that they probably hadn't seen her in about two months. "A wonderful surprise!" He hugged them both before opening the door for them to come inside.

Steven smiled at his father as he entered the familiar home. "I hope we didn't come at a bad time. I had to travel for work and Cynthia had some time to join me."

The blonde followed behind Steven with a bright smile on her face. Her in-laws had really accepted her into their family. It had taken her a while to get used to the ginormous house which was much bigger than the one she had grown up in Celestic Town with her grandmother and sister. However, she had quickly discovered into her relationship that there was a lot of love in the home. "It's been so long since I've had the chance to make it out to Hoenn. By the way, I am truly sorry about that. It's such a beautiful region that I wish I could see more frequently."

Mr Stone shook his head. "Nonsense! We totally understand how busy your schedule is. It's just amazing that you are here now." He was excited to see how thrilled his wife would be to their visitors. "Your mother is in the kitchen cooking. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic you are here."

Steven chuckled knowing his father was very correct with his statement. Although his parents insisted that the addition of some new furniture had modernized the place he still saw it as his childhood home. As they got closer to the kitchen a delicious aroma became more apparent. When Steven and Cynthia finally arrived at the doorway they smiled at the woman in an apron who was watching the pie in the oven. "Ooooh, it smells amazing in here, Mom."

Her jaw dropped at the voice and quickly turned around. No matter how old he got she'd know her son's voice anywhere. It wasn't every day her son and his incredible wife showed up in the kitchen. "What on earth are you two doing here?!" She exclaimed before she embraced both of them tightly.

After they exchanged hugs Cynthia chuckled and shared a glance with Steven. "Just doing some business here in Hoenn." They both were very excited to tell the important news.

This glance wouldn't go unnoticed by Mrs Stone. Mother's intuition caused her to know something was going on. However from the looks of it whatever it was didn't seem like a bad thing. "Well sit! Sit! The pie should be ready in a few minutes. I'll pour you some tea." She poured four cups of tea as they all sat around the table.

Mr Stone thanked his wife before taking a sip of his tea. "So? How's it been since Jade has left?"

Steven chuckled knowing his parents were very interested in seeing how he was handling something they had gone through with him. "It's certainly a lot quieter without her around."

After the cup left her lips, Cynthia nodded in agreement. "But she really is doing well. She called last night to say she had just gotten her second badge."

Mrs Stone chuckled. Jade had always been a brilliant blend of her parents so it wasn't shocking to hear that she was moving right along. "You better watch out Cynthia," she teased.

Cynthia laughed. She had been hearing that joke a lot but it didn't bother her because the success of her daughter was something she could only hope for. "Oh, I have no doubt I'm in trouble."

Steven's eyes lit up remembering he had forgotten about the gift he'd given his daughter before she had left. He turned to his father with a smile on his face. "I didn't tell you… I gave her that book you gave me right before my journey."

His father paused before smiling brightly with watery eyes. "I nearly forgot about that... I'm glad you valued it enough to pass it on."

Steven nodded. He wouldn't point out his father's eyes knowing he was a proud man. However, he was glad it meant a lot to him. "I found it to be very beneficial during my journey. Plus when she gave a similar speech to mine about wanting to do her journey on her own I figured it would be a good gift for her," he said warmly watching his parents share a knowing glance. "She told me she's about halfway done. She is pacing herself to fully embrace it throughout the experience of her adventure through Sinnoh."

"It's scary how much she acts like you two," Mrs Stone teased before standing when the oven beeped. She used mitts to take out the pie and then rested it on the counter for it to cool.

During that moment there was a pause in the conversation to which Steven glanced at Cynthia who nodded at him. He knew exactly what she was telling him. It was time. "So… there is something we wanted to tell you two."

Mrs Stone eyes widened as her suspicions were correct. She glanced at her son and then her daughter-in-law taking in their expressions. A gasp escaped her lips after realizing what the look in their eyes meant. She had seen them do it once before. "Oh my goodness…"

Mr Stone watched his wife and raised an eyebrow before looking back at his son. He hadn't caught on as fast as his wife had.

Steven was not surprised that his mother had picked up the news so quickly. She had always been very observant especially with his personal life. He chuckled as he placed his hand on Cynthia's. "We are expecting another child."

Mr Stones eyes lit up the way his wife's had. "That's wonderful!"

The family celebrated with even more hugs and then pie while Steven and Cynthia explained the details they knew so far about their second child.

The next day Steven had to go into the Hoenn Devon Corp Headquarters and was expected to be back around 4 pm to which after they planned to visit Wallace, Winona and their son. Whenever the Stone's visited Hoenn they stayed at Steven's old home in Mossdeep. It was a beautiful home that was always far too big when it was just Steven living there, however they decided to keep it for when they made the trip out to the region. Cynthia was currently on the couch trying to focus on a book she was reading, but, she couldn't stop thinking about the day prior. His parents were so very accepting and she truly loved them dearly. It was just hard very hard sometimes now that her grandmother was gone and she couldn't share the news with her let alone her parents that had died when she was very young. She gazed out the window biting her lip for a moment before finally giving in to her emotions and allowing herself to cry.

Steven opened the door with his usual excitement to see his wife. "Hey love, I got out of that meeting early," he called out as he shut the door behind him and walked down the hallway. When he made his way to the living room his heart dropped at the sight of her. He knew what that look was. Cynthia was very good at controlling her emotions even with pregnancy hormones. Although she was very close with her sister, he knew that she really missed the family she had lost and with the pregnancy and seeing his parents it all made sense. Without a word he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms comfortingly. He knew it was a pain that would always be there, but the least he could do was help her through it.

Cynthia accepted his embrace and buried her face into his chest. She couldn't say anything and just needed a few minutes to let out the sorrow she was feeling. Her husband had always been so good to her when it came to this subject. He never pushed her to talk when she didn't want to or felt the need to say anything himself. Steven was just there for her no matter what and it truly meant a lot.

After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and was able to look up at him. She really was thankful for the family she did have and knew the ones she had lost were looking over her.

Steven gazed at the woman whose eyes were now red and puffy. It was never easy to see her in pain but he knew she put up such a tough exterior all the time that she needed to be vulnerable sometimes His thumb grazed away a leftover tear before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

A shaky sigh escaped her lips at his affection. "Thank you, Steven, for everything. I love you so much."

As he brushed the fringe that had fallen in her eyes, he offered a supportive smile. "Always, my love."

Cynthia pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before looking at him with a determined expression. She didn't want him to worry about her or try to change their plans because of what she had just done.

Steven sighed knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Cynthia... maybe we should just wait to visit Wallace tomorrow. You have already had enough stress for today."

Cynthia chuckled. "I can handle Wallace, Steven."

It wasn't that far a trip and he knew once she had her mind set on something he'd never change her mind. "Alright, but let me know if it gets too much and we have to leave."

Cynthia agreed and went to clean herself up, wanting to not look like she had just been crying when she saw their close friends. Once she felt presentable they left for Fortree City.

As they stood in front of Steven's best-friends home, he glanced at Cynthia, remembering her tears from not even a couple hours prior. He sighed and squeezed her hand. She was determined to do this and to be honest, it was only visiting Wallace and his family so she'd probably be fine, however, he wished she realized that she had a limit. She always had to be seen as strong but he worried about the costs of her pushing herself so much all the time.

The blonde noticed his hesitation and looked over to him. She knew it caused him a great deal of stress how she rarely took it easy especially during pregnancies. She just would be so unhappy if she had to sit still over every hurdle and would much rather be proactive. That didn't mean he was totally wrong about her needing to take care of herself. Her hand squeezed his back and she offered him a smile. "I promise I'll take it easier after this. I mean it."

His lips curled up into a relieved smile. "Just a little easier. You'd probably rip my head off if I made you change things up too much."

Cynthia laughed and kissed his cheek before ringing the doorbell.

It was very exciting to see the family especially since Wallace and Winona's son, Dylan was now five. Since Cynthia and Steven were his godparents they tried to see the family as much as possible especially because of how good Wallace and Winona had been to Jade. About a month prior the Hoenn family made a trip to Sinnoh and stayed with the Stones shortly after Jade's birthday for a few days. They certainly brought much excitement to the home that had been quiet since their daughter's departure. Steven had a feeling the timing of the trip had to do with his best-friend knowing how his daughter going off on her adventure would be a hard adjustment and with guests it would be a good distraction.

When the lavender-haired gym leader answered the door her jaw dropped. "Oh my goodness! What are you two doing here!?" Her smile lit up her face as she hugged them close.

Before they could answer, the five-year-old boy with teal hair resembling his father poked his head out to see what was going on. He grinned when he saw who was at the door. "Uncle Steven! Aunt Cynthia!"

Cynthia picked up the child and spun him around. "Hello, Dylan! It's great to see you."

It seems like Jade wasn't the only one growing. Steven couldn't believe how big his godson was. His eyes widened at the child. "When did he get so big?!"

Winona smiled. "I ask myself that every day." She opened the door for them to come in. "Wallace isn't home yet but please come in."

The couple followed them in as Cynthia carried Dylan in. "Can you show me your pokémon, Aunt Cynthia?" The child was very interested in champions especially since his father was one.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at Winona who nodded approvingly. "Only if Aunt Cynthia wants to.."

Cynthia chuckled and nodded. "Come on Dylan let's go outside. I'm sure Garchomp will be thrilled to see you." She carried the boy outside to show him her pokémon in their backyard.

A chuckle escaped Steven's lips as he watched the boy light up at the sight of Cynthia's Garchomp.

Meanwhile, Winona poured Steven a glass of tea. She had been meaning to reach out to the Stones after she'd had a conversation with a certain Sinnoh gym leader. "How have things been, Steven? Word among gym leaders is your daughter is taking Sinnoh by storm."

Steven accepted the cup of tea and sat at their dining room table. "Yes, she is. I'm just proud through it all she is staying very level-headed."

Winona nodded before pausing and raising an eyebrow. "So... have you heard about her fan club?"

The comment caused him to choke on his tea. A fan club? He had no idea what she was talking about. Did this have to do with the boy that was following her in Eterna City? "Excuse me?"

Winona sighed at the man and sat across from him at the table. It was certainly concerning which is why she thought he should know. "Gardenia told me that when your daughter battled her a group of boys watched from the windows and tried to get her to battle them after she'd gotten the Forest Badge."

His brows furrowed tightly as he gripped the teacup. He thought back to his youth and how much the girls fawning over him bothered him even as a twenty-year-old. He couldn't imagine how his daughter must feel being followed when she was only half that age.

Winona offered a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry Gardenia told me Jade showed them no attention. She even caused some sort of distraction and ditched them before they even had a chance to figure out what was going on."

Steven rubbed his temple as he stared at the wooden table. Of course, he trusted his daughter's ability to handle things but they did talk about if things got worse she'd tell them. Even if she didn't want him involved there were others who could help her. Why did she hide this from him?

Winona chuckled and took a sip of her tea. "You know I seem to remember a certain someone having a fan club of his own."

Steven groaned as Wallace's tendencies were becoming apparent in his wife. "When I was 15! Not ten!"

Winona raised an eyebrow. "That's not Wallace has told me. He says you were totally clueless to all the girls totally in love with you."

Steven rolled his eyes. "He sure has a funny way of remembering things." He was about to say that either way it didn't make the situation now okay when his wife and godson re-entered the house.

"Who has a funny way of remembering things?" Cynthia asked with a puzzled expression.

Steven lifted his head up and shared a look with Cynthia. He was sure she knew something was going wrong but decided on explaining it later. "Who do you think?" he groaned.

As if right on queue the man opened the door to his home. "Hello, my wonderful family!"

Winona took another sip of her tea before smiling at the couple. She knew her husband would be through the moon to see them. "In here!"

Of course, no one would react bigger to the surprise than Wallace. His jaw dropped at the guests in the dining room. "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE!" He ran and hugged them tightly as he always did.

Steven managed to catch his breath and laugh. "Business trip. Thought we'd stop by."

Wallace grinned before looking at Cynthia. "I can't believe you are here." He knew how difficult downtime with him being a champion as well.

Cynthia chuckled. "I had some free time and it's been too long since I've been to Hoenn."

Wallace raised an eyebrow. It must have been hard to take a spur of the moment trip to Hoenn... unless she had a reason to be here. He was very good at figuring out his best friend and his wife. The Hoenn Champion was determined to discover the Stone's real intentions for the trip. "This is amazing! Obviously, you'll be staying for dinner. " Before he did anything else he pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head. "You think you can keep your Aunt and Uncle busy while I go make dinner with your mother?"

Dylan nodded eagerly at his father.

Steven and Cynthia shared a smile. They remembered when Wallace was a... not so great cook but definitely stepped up when he learned he was becoming a father. They really had done a fantastic job raising him. The Stones told Dylan stories as the child's parents cooked dinner. What they didn't realize was the parents were trying to figure out their news.

Winona glanced over at the couple. "There is definitely something going on." Her eyes landed on Cynthia and noticed there was something unusual about her. It was a look that she hadn't seen in a long time...

Then it snapped for both of them. They quickly went to the other room and just stared at each other. It was scary how in sync they were. Wallace grabbed his wife's hands excitedly. "You don't think..." He made sure to whisper so they wouldn't be overheard.

Winona nodded eagerly. "She's pregnant. I bet you anything."

The two excitedly jumped up and down. Of course, they wouldn't just flat out say they knew. That wouldn't be very fun. The two reentered the room and finished making dinner as if nothing was going on.

"Oh, Cynthia! Remember that wine I was telling you about back when we were visiting you," Winona started trying not to smirk. "I happened to just pick up a bottle from the store."

Wallace nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, you must try a glass it's amazing."

Cynthia's eyes widened and glanced at Steven briefly. "Oh um... actually I'd rather not if that's okay."

As the smirk appeared on his best friend's face Steven knew he had figured it out.

"I KNEW IT!" He grinned back at his wife who smirked with him. "Oh my goodness you are having another kid aren't you?!"

Steven let out a small groan. He should have known Wallace would have figured out the news before they'd have the chance to tell them. "Alright! Alright! We were going to tell you over dinner.

Wallace grinned. "I can read you two like a book. Regardless this is delightful news! Isn't that right Dylan!"

Dylan clapped his hands. "New baby!"

After dinner, the couple said their goodbyes and headed back to their Hoenn home. Unfortunately, the joy started to escape Steven as he remembered what was going on with his daughter back in Sinnoh. As they approached their home Cynthia stopped him outside unsure what had happened since they had left Fortree City. "What's wrong? You seem troubled."

Steven sighed and squeezed her hand. He wouldn't hide this from her even if she shouldn't be any more stressed. "Winona told me that even more boys are following Jade."

A dark expression painted on the blonde's face. "Excuse me?"

Steven sighed and nodded. "I know I don't like it either... Trust me I want to react strongly because I'm upset she hid this from us. However, she must be going through a lot... Arceus I just wish she told us."

Cynthia nodded in agreement. She felt sick thinking about her daughter being exposed to something so frustrating. "I think we should call and talk to her about it... calmly?"

"I agree..." Steven ran a hand through his hair. He knew this wasn't the best time to bring this up but it was something they had been delaying. "We really need to tell her about the baby soon."

"I know… I just really want to tell her in person," Cynthia said softly looking at the ground. It wasn't fair to keep the news from their daughter, she just didn't want to do it over the phone. She wanted to share the joy with her in front of them.

Steven knew how much telling Jade when she was physically there meant to his wife. Especially since she couldn't tell her grandmother or parents the news. He wouldn't take that from her and help find a time where they could all meet up to tell her in person. "We'll figure it out soon. One thing at a time," he said before kissing her cheek. She didn't need any more stress.

When they entered home the two sat on their bed. Steven pulled out his pokégear and let out a heavy sigh. It took so much to not let his emotions take control of his actions. Of course, he wanted to fly and deal with these boys personally. The selfish part of his brain even wanted to make Jade come home because she hid the growing problem from them and he just wanted to keep her safe. However, he understood his daughter's perspective of the situation and knew he had to be rational if anything were to happen. Dealing with followers wasn't easy, he did know that from his youth (he still didn't believe it happened as early to him like Wallace had been saying). Either way getting angry would never make the situation easier and the most important thing was her safety.

Cynthia watched her husband rub his temple deep in thought. She rested her head on his shoulder and curled into him. "We will find a solution, okay?"

Steven nodded slowly and closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself down. After a few moments, the couple sat up and called their daughter.

Jade was setting up her sleeping bag in Wayward Cave when she received the call from her parents. They didn't often call at night so she knew it must have been important. She sat down on her sleeping bag before answering her pokégear. "Hey guys how's it-" She cut herself off when she noticed the unusual background. "Are you in Hoenn right now?"

Steven and Cynthia both looked at each other before the blonde nodded. "Yes your father had to come here for Devon Corp matters and I came along since it's been a while since I have been here."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm sure Uncle Wallace was thrilled," Jade said with a smile remembering the last time they went to Hoenn and he hugged them for about ten minutes.

"He was very happy," Steven said with a smile. However, it was shortlived as he remembered the reason for the call. "Jade… are there more boys bothering you now?"

The ten-year-old's expression faltered as the words came out of her father's mouth. Gardenia must have told someone about their battle and their annoying audience. She wasn't hiding this because she was embarrassed that her parents might do something about them, it was because she was scared they wouldn't feel comfortable doing her journey anymore with them around. Sure it was frustrating to deal with the problem constantly and made her uncomfortable when all she really wanted to focus on was her journey, but she just sucked it up so she wouldn't worry anybody. However, now they knew. "I see…"

Cynthia sighed as the worried expression crossed her daughter's face. "You are a strong girl Jade, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have to deal with this kind of unacceptable behaviour. Especially on your own."

Jade nodded slowly trying to figure out the right words. "I get it why you are worried... Trust me... I know it's weird... And I make sure to put them in their place I really do. They just want to battle. I swear. They are a bunch of loser fanboys that should be focusing on more on their own training instead of me."

A laugh escaped from Cynthia's mouth at her last comment. Their daughter's determination and focus was truly one her greatest strengths.

Despite the explanation, Steven still had a deep frown on his face. No ten-year-old should have to deal with something like this. Part of him blamed himself for being such a prominent figure in the region. Even with keeping Jade away from the press as best they could people were going to know who she was because of Cynthia and him. He felt bad that she couldn't live a normal life because of it.

In the book her father had given her, the main character learns a lesson when he breaks a promise to wait until his friend's pokemon became stronger to battle the next gym so they could do it together. Desperate to move forward he does it behind her back and the friend gets incredibly hurt. Even though this was a different circumstance she knew that she had broken the promise to her father about keeping him updated on the situation. She sighed realizing he must be hurt and maybe even disappointed in her, which was the last thing she'd ever want. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this… I just have it under control and I know it's not ideal but I can push through it."

Steven swallowed hard before he rubbed his temple. "You just have to tell us these things. We trust you a lot but you still have to communicate with us especially when your safety is at risk. You shouldn't have to be dealing with this at all let alone on your own. Pushing through this won't stop these kids. You shouldn't accept people treating you badly." He didn't want to belittle her with a comment about her being just ten-years-old however she still had a lot to learn. Just because it was battling now didn't mean people couldn't harass her about other things later. Jade was a brilliant girl but in some ways had been sheltered from some harsh realities.

The girl bit her lip and looked away from the screen. The look on his face was too hard to bare. There was so much pressure in her life to do the right thing and live up to Steven Stone and the Champion of Sinnoh. She really didn't want to let her parents down and she realized that they just wanted to help her. "I know… I'm sorry."

Cynthia watched her daughter and husband before she took a deep breath. Their daughter had certainly started to take on her husband's ability to be consumed by thought. At the moment, the two shared a very similar expression of anxiety and nervousness. She didn't want them looking this way any longer. "Okay, so I think you should contact the local Officer Jenny. You shouldn't be stalked and it must be a distraction for sure. She'll definitely know how to break it up."

The ten-year-old looked at the screen and nodded slowly. "I can do that." She brought her legs to her chest and hugged them. No matter what she knew they loved her. It was just hard when she just wanted to make them proud. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry I let you guys down."

Steven's eyes went to the screen and he immediately shook his head. "You could never let us down, Jade. Ever. We are so proud of you and love you very much. We are just concerned about your safety, that's all. You are strong and we get that but this isn't something that you should have to go to."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "I mean...according to Uncle Wallace-"

"Uncle Wallace needs to get his head checked out," Steven groaned as rubbed his temple once again.

Cynthia closed her eyes momentarily. She didn't want her daughter to believe the reason this time it wasn't okay was because she was a girl. No one should have to deal with this. "I think the main thing we'd like to take away from this is if this happens again please ask for help."

Jade nodded in agreement. "Okay, I promise I will and I will keep you guys updated."

Steven glanced at Cynthia who offered him a comforting smile. Then he smiled back at his daughter. "We love you a lot Jade and just don't want anything to happen to you."

Jade smiled back. "I love you guys too."

After they hung up Steven let out a long sigh and fell back onto the bed. Even though they had resolved things with their daughter he couldn't help but still be worried. "I wish she could live a normal life. Without all this publicity."

Cynthia ran a hand through his hair. "I know, honey, me too. It... It almost makes me wish she hadn't travelled through Sinnoh first. Done a region we weren't as known in."

Steven looked into her grey eyes and tilted his head. It was an interesting concept but that could lead to some other problems. "However, she wouldn't have known the area as well then. At least with Sinnoh, she knows the gym leaders pretty well. We are close by if we ever need to step in."

Cynthia nodded in agreement. At least they were nearby and it was good for her to start where she had some idea of the layout. "True... But maybe next year she'll be prepared to travel somewhere else though. Get a more traditional journey."

A smirk appeared on Steven's face as he placed a hand on her cheek and chuckled. "That is... if she doesn't beat you."

Cynthia laughed and lay beside him. She had really heard that line quite a few times on this trip. Her head rested on his chest as she traced circles on it. Although, she knew it was a joke she couldn't help but ponder the possibility. "You know...It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world with the new baby and all... I have had the position for so long..." She took a deep breath before looking over at her husband. "My only thing is ten is very young for a champion and I want her to explore other regions."

Steven hummed and rubbed her back. "As do I. I think she'll figure out that she has time to grow and doesn't need to be the best in one year. However, if I know one thing is for sure it's that she's going to find the right path for her."

Cynthia smiled. "We raised a really awesome kid. I'm excited to do it again."

His smile grew at the thought. "Me too. I'm so incredibly excited." His hands travelled to her stomach lovingly. Even though she was barely showing he already felt so much love for their second child.

After a moment the blonde's smile turned into a smirk. "I know we are waiting to find out the gender but you know… I have a gut feeling you are going to be even more outnumbered."

"Is that so?" Steven mused. Truth, was he really had no preference, however, he did love teasing his wife. "Well, my gut is telling me it's a boy."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Well, your gut is probably wrong because the baby isn't even inside of you so I don't know how your gut would know."

Steven laughed. "That's an interesting point you raise," he said before kissing her lips. "We will just have to see."


	20. First Meeting

**I'm back! I wanted to write a proper first meeting for the lovely couple and I think it's pretty good. Thanks for all the feedback it certainly helps when it comes to writing these things. Hopefully, I'm back soon!**

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After becoming the new Sinnoh Champion only a month ago it was finally time for Cynthia's first meeting with the other champions. It was being held in Kalos which was somewhat reassuring because Diantha was so far the only champion she had already met. The woman had reached out the week she had beaten Rowan since she was apparently very excited for there to be another female around. Diantha was certainly a lot more extravagant than Cynthia but she seemed nice enough.

Cynthia decided to fly out the day before and meet up with Diantha at a cafe. The Kalos Champion was supposed to give her a rundown on how the meetings usually go and what the rest of the champions were like. As she waited in the Snowbelle City Cafe she had her head in a book about the history of Kalos.

The Sinnoh public was shocked when a blonde 19-year-old girl from Celestic Town triumphed over the former reigning champion. Defying people's expectations was something Cynthia had learned how to get used to. Despite, her sudden increase in status some things never changed for the Sinnoh native. The young woman still loved reading anything she could get her hands on. History being her most favorite subject. She was confident but not quite used to the frequent attention. Most of all no matter where she was a cool breeze reminded her of her home in Sinnoh, no matter where she was. That's why really didn't mind Snowbelle City.

"The meeting isn't even in Sinnoh and I'm still freezing," the twenty-one-year-old Hoenn muttered to himself as he clenched his fists further into his pocket. As hard as he tried Steven had yet to find satisfaction since becoming the Hoenn champion one and a half years ago. Battling was exhilarating and was a feeling like no other but sometimes it wasn't enough. Maybe it was being forced to be an extrovert when he was truly an introvert that brought him so much anxiety. It could have also been the repetitive days at the league where he felt like he wasn't really accomplishing anything. What he did know was there was nothing he dreaded more than these champion meetings. It never felt like anything came out of them and it was just a way for the elite to boast in their own glory. He had always tried to keep a distance from the other champions. Diantha was by far the one he was closest to but their friendship (if you could even call it that) existed solely at the meetings for the most part.

When he felt his pokégear buzz he stopped in his tracks to see a message from his overly excited best friend. The message contained pictures of Steven on the cover of some trashy magazine naming him Bachelor of the Year. He groaned and rubbed his temple. A lot of times Steven felt guilty for complaining since he had grown up in an amazing home, the heir to a thriving company, supposedly relatively attractive and one of the biggest figures in Hoenn. Yet that all meant constant publicity which he hated. He hated being fawned over especially in trashy magazines. "Bachelor of the Year. Who has time for this ridiculous garbage?"

After muttering to himself, he noticed something in the window of the cafe he had stopped in front of.

There was a young woman with long blonde hair reading her book quite intently. Steven usually wasn't one to get taken aback by one's appearance but he couldn't deny she was extremely beautiful. She practically glowed because of her long blonde hair. A warmth filled his previously very cold chest watching her focus on her book.

After a moment of staring, he realized he had seen her somewhere before. This wasn't just some random Kalos citizen. Was she some contest coordinator Wallace had shown him randomly? No that didn't seem to be it. He had become so caught up in trying to place it, he hadn't realized the woman had returned his stare. When he finally noticed her grey eyes staring at his, it finally hit him. She was the new Sinnoh champion! ... And he had just made their first meeting incredibly awkward.

Cynthia didn't have the best sense of her surroundings when she was captured by a book. However, someone's presence did pull her back to reality and caused her uneasiness. She looked out the window and saw a man with a black trench coat and purple scarf staring at her. Why couldn't she just be left alone to read in peace? Cynthia was about to give the man an annoyed expression when he pulled down his scarf causing her to recognize them.

His mind was racing as his cheeks turned redder than they were from the cold. He had watched the match with Wallace and had been very impressed were her battle strategies but had almost pretty much forgotten since then she'd be joining him in person at these meetings. This was a horrible first impression and probably made her feel incredibly awkward. Why had he been as mesmerized as he was? Either way, he had no choice but to go in and apologize. Steven quickly went into the warm cafe and approached the woman who looked very confused by the whole situation. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. That was very rude of me. I was trying to figure out why you looked so familiar but now it makes sense with the meeting tomorrow." He sheepishly scratched his neck trying to avoid the real reason he had stopped in the first place.

As the man frantically explained the reasoning behind his actions her eyes were wide trying to take in the situation. It seemed like every girl her age had some sort of crush on him aside from herself. He always seemed like an arrogant but powerful champion. Although, she had to admit it was endearing to see the man babble in front of her. After he finished she paused before letting a chuckle escape her lips. "It was only a little creepy."

His eyes were as wide as saucers and his cheeks were burning now. How did he get into this situation? Wallace. Yes. It was all his fault for distracting him with those stupid magazines. He really had blown this first impression. While he had no interests, at least not before with maintaining good relations with the champions he didn't want to make someone feel uncomfortable right before their first meeting. "I-I am truly sorry. I swear that was not my intention."

Cynthia laughed harder as he got more flustered. "No. No. Stop that. I was just kidding. I truly understand. If I was in your shoes I'd probably have done the same thing." She stood up and extended her hand. "I don't think we have formally met yet. I'm Cynthia." He was certainly much more unusual than he came across on TV. She was able to see why people referred to him as a dreamboat with his messy yet somehow perfectly placed hair and his striking blue eyes. However, it seemed like he was actually kind of a dorky guy. It honestly made her feel at ease to know this.

Steven stared blankly as he processed the situation. The new Sinnoh Champion had quite the sense of humor. It wasn't a bad thing though and honestly pretty refreshing. Finally, a soft chuckle left his lips before he shook her hand. "Steven. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Meanwhile, Diantha had started to approach the cafe when she noticed the encounter through the window. At first, she was wondering why Steven was there especially with his tendency to distance himself but then she noticed his slightly blushed cheeks and sincere smile. "What an unusual pair," she mused to herself. Just by the looks in their eyes, she knew everything she needed to know. Before they could notice her, she decided to go back around the corner and lean against the building.

Back inside, Cynthia was about to say something when her pokégear interrupted her. She glanced down and saw that it was Diantha calling her. "Excuse me for one second."

"Cynthia, I got caught up on set and I don't think I'm going to make it. Do you think we could reschedule to tomorrow morning?"

Cynthia blinked before nodding her head. "Sure. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks so much. I'll see you then," she said before hanging up. As she walked away she couldn't help but grin. Someone was finally going to melt Steven's cold exterior.

Cynthia closed her pokégear and let out a sigh. She couldn't help but be slightly disappointed since she desperately wanted advice on the meetings. It'd just have to wait for tomorrow. Her thoughts were interrupted when the Hoenn man who was still standing there spoke up.

"Excuse me if this is none of my business but is everything alright?" Steven asked with a tilted head.

She unfurrowed her face when she remembered that Steven had been there still. "Oh yes. Sorry. The person I was supposed to meet here had to reschedule."

Steven raised an eyebrow at her words. Was she waiting on a date? Why did the thought of that make him feel suddenly anxious? After a moment he realized that would probably be a very weird thing to do on a brief trip to another region. It was also rude of him to assume something like that. What was with this girl? For some reason, he was interested in everything about her. "Well..." He glanced at the empty seat across from the one she had been sitting in before looking back at her. A warm smile appeared on his face. At that moment he seemed to have forgotten about his rule about getting close with champions. "Would you like some company?"

The man might be a little dorky but he did have some charming features. She blinked at his question before blushing. "Oh I mean, I'd hate to bother you if you already had plans."

Steven chuckled and shook his head. He had already made up his mind. "I was just going to sulk in my hotel room so really I'd love to join you." He removed his coat and scarf before draping them on the empty chair. "Let me get a drink and I'll join you." Before he turned around he noticed her cup was empty. "Would you like another one?"

Cynthia wasn't exactly proud to be flustered by him simply asking to buy her a drink. He was a colleague and it was day one. Thoughts like this were hardly appropriate. "You really don't have to."

She was certainly unusual. Not in a bad way. There was something about her that made him smile. "What are you drinking?"

Cynthia could tell that there was no use in protesting. "Green tea." She watched as he thought about her choice like there was some significance to it before nodding and going to the counter.

When he returned he placed her new cup of tea in front of her. "Here you go," he said before sitting across from her. As he took a sip of his coffee he glanced over at the book resting on the table. "Interested in the history of Kalos?"

The book had completely slipped her mind after meeting this man. To be honest, she didn't know all too much about the man aside from some battles she'd seen and the basics. He didn't seem like a history buff so she decided he was probably just trying to make small talk. "I'm interested in history in general but I figured while I was here to look into Kalos's more."

Steven nodded. While he himself was much more drawn to the subject of stones he did enjoy reading quite a bit. "I haven't read into it too much further than Mega Evolution but you'll have to pick Diantha's brain tomorrow."

Cynthia chuckled since she had in fact already done some of that already. "Yeah I was planning on doing some more of that today but she was the one that had to cancelled."

Steven tilted his head because he was surprised to hear that she had already met one of the champions. "So you have already met her then?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yes, she reached out shortly after I got my title."

His expression dropped slightly. It was probably rude of him to not reach out when she first got the title. "I see." He didn't know what he expected from himself but maybe he should have been a bit more approachable. "Have you met any of the other champions yet?" Part of him was being selfish and wanted to figure her out before the other champions could.

Cynthia shook her head. "No so far only you and Diantha." She took a sip of her drink before looking back at the man. Maybe he'd have some insight on what tomorrow might bring. "So...What are the other ones like? Like what should I expect tomorrow?"

He noticed how she became slightly nervous when bringing up the subject. It was obvious this was a serious matter to her despite how he never took the meetings seriously. Steven hummed as he thought of a proper response. He didn't want to lie but he didn't want to be brutally honest. "Well… Lance can be a bit intense. Don't let him scare you."

That comment made her eyes roll. If there was one thing she hated it was the 'I-purposely-come-across-as-scary-and-intense' type. "I don't scare easily."

Steven raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Good to hear… In that case, Alder can be quite boisterous and pushy in my opinion."

Cynthia sighed. She can see why Diantha was thrilled to have another woman around. "Delightful. I'm certainly excited."

Steven offered a supportive smile. "I promise you'll be able to stand your place if you so desire."

Cynthia nodded. "I want to make a difference you know? I've been put in a place of power and I just want to do something good with it. "

The passion in her voice was so unique. He needed to be reminded of the importance of what they did sometimes. His eyes went back to her and he felt himself smile.

The next day Steven went to the meeting with some pep in his step for the first time in ages. They had spent several hours at the cafe and for once he felt like he had a genuine connection with one of the champions. Cynthia was very intelligent and had such a positive outlook on life. She even listened to him ramble about his last excavation. His excitement quickly disappeared when he entered the room and saw her expression as Alder asked to take her to some restaurant.

"While I do really appreciate your invitation I was already planning on..." She couldn't believe she was being asked out already. The second Diantha left the room to get some things she was blindsided by the Unova Champion. It was completely inappropriate since it put so much pressure on her. If she defended herself too hard then she'd pretty much only be seen as a bitch. When she saw the Hoenn Champion she couldn't help but stare with pleading eyes.

Steven stepped into the room and cleared his throat. "Hello everyone." He glanced at Cynthia before looking at Alder, trying to hide his anger. "Alder, were you in Hoenn recently I thought I saw someone that looked like you?"

Alder raised an eyebrow at the man and proceeded to tell him he didn't know what he was talking. Before Alder could return to his conversation Steven persisted that he had seen him in his region.

"No, I'm almost positive it was you. You're kind of a hard guy to mistake with someone else." Steven suppressed his smirk he felt forming. "Got a secret lady in Hoenn?"

Alder rolled his eyes. "There is no such person. I assure you!"

Diantha entered the room with a folder and raised an eyebrow at Steven. Something weird was certainly going on. She then glanced at Cynthia who already seemed to have a slightly defeated expression. This is why she hated when it was her turn to host the meetings. "Since everyone is here should we get started?"

Everyone took their seat so luckily Cynthia never had to give the man an answer. However, she was a little disappointed that she hadn't known how to handle the situation. While she appreciated Steven's distraction she didn't like the idea of having to rely on someone to protect her. As the meeting began she avoided eye contact with the man who had helped her. She felt lost and overwhelmed. While her work in her own region was hard to get used to she at least had the guidance of Bertha, her Grandmother, even Rowan. This all felt so different.

Steven noticed Cynthia was avoiding eye contact with him. It made sense why she was so bothered. He decided to keep his fascination under wraps, sit beside Alder (he still wanted to keep an eye on him) and stare out the window.

During their lunch break, Steven went to the roof of the Kalos Pokemon League for some air. He took a deep breath as he rubbed his hands together. "How is it still so cold?"

Cynthia slammed open the roof door and let out a frustrated groan. She was so proud of becoming champion and was excited for all that it could bring. It was just frustrating when she already felt like she wasn't being treated seriously. "Great… just great," she muttered to herself.

His face went red when he heard her voice. This was a private moment that he had invaded. He quickly gained his composure and went around the corner with a concerned expression. There was no easy way to go about this. "Hey, I couldn't help but overhear..."

Her body jumped into the air as she was startled by the voice since she had thought she was alone. However, when she realized that it was, in fact, Steven that was up there her face became bright red. Now she felt very foolish

Steven frowned at her embarrassed expression. Her grey eye that wasn't covered by her blonde fringe was wide and afraid. She was such an enigma to him and everything about her brought unfamiliar situations and feelings. Yet for some reason, he still wanted to figure her out. "My apologies. I didn't mean to scare you. Really it's no big deal," he said leaning against the wall beside her. "I'm up here throwing a tantrum so I assure you this is a safe space if you feel the need to vent."

To most people, Cynthia was seen as strong and calm. This, for the most part, was true except for all the tension and stress she constantly kept in her shoulders, however ,she felt herself let go a little at his humorous remark. After pausing for a moment she decided to trust him with her feelings. He had made a conscious effort to help her out. "You were totally right… Alder is pushy and Lance certainly has some sort of god complex."

His anger and stress were kept in his jaw and it certainly tensed up when she confided her feelings. "I know and it's something you shouldn't be putting up with... I don't want to overstep my boundaries but if you ever need anything or me to get involved, I'm here."

It was a simple statement but she did appreciate it. "That is very kind. I do think I need to try to find a way to handle it myself but if I come to you for advice would that be okay?" The two shared a stare that neither understood the weight behind.

Steven smiled softly. "Of course." He broke the stare away before she could notice the red tint on his face from the moment and his teeth lightly chattering from the cold.

Cynthia nodded. Nothing else needed to be said about it and that was fine. She chuckled when she noticed his teeth were chattering. "Mr Stone if the cold is too much for you we can go back inside?"

Steven shook his head quickly still avoiding her gaze. "I will admit it is a bit chilly but I can assure you I am indeed fine." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a mischevious smirk on her face. He couldn't help but chuckle and shrug. "There really is no need for formalities by the way."

Cynthia nodded. "Okay, Steven."

As Cynthia was handing her room key into the hotel the next morning she heard a familiar voice.

"Checking out too I see?"

She turned around to see Steven smiling with his usual bright smile. She chuckled and leaned against the desk. "I am indeed. I take it that you are leaving too."

Steven nodded. "Yes. I'm flying back to Hoenn in about an hour."

Cynthia hid her expression well. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she wouldn't see him for probably several months. "Well, I do really appreciate all of your help. I hope we cross paths soon." She glanced at the hotel notepad on the counter. After a second she grabbed it and a pen before writing down her number. "If you are ever in Sinnoh please feel reach out." It was a harmless gesture... right?

Steven couldn't help but blush at her the number. Girls gave him their numbers all the time. He should be used to it by now. When he looked back at her, her smile was sweet and genuine... also contagious. He smiled back before writing his own number down and handing it to her. "I shall and if you are ever in Hoenn please let me know."

At that moment they wondered what life would be like now that they were friends.

As the dream slipped away Cynthia began to regain consciousness against something very warm. The gentle touch that rubbed soothingly against her shoulder made her remember where she was. After months of getting to know each other, one night they couldn't avoid the mutual attraction any longer. Since then they were trying out a long distance relationship and while it was difficult sometimes he always found new ways to always be with her. Whether it was sending her new books to read or texts throughout the day. Even Garchomp, a very protective pokémon seemed to have opened up to Steven. After a few seconds of stretching, she peaked up and saw his bright blue eyes staring into hers.

Steven gave her a charming smile. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up." It was already noon which was way later than he'd normally stay in bed but he knew she needed the rest. Besides they had been up fairly late with activities of catching up so he could hardly blame her.

As he brushed her fringe from her eyes she felt very content with how things had advanced for them. "Hey no judging," she teased as per usual. "I was exhausted from my flight over."

Steven chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her teasing only brought out his playful side as well. "I'd never judge you." As he pulled away a smirk appeared on his face. "Okay, maybe a little."

Cynthia smirked as well before quickly faking a gasp. "Wow, how rude! I literally flew out to see you," she said jokingly as she turned away from his grasp to the other side of the bed.

He couldn't help but pout when the warmth disappeared from his chest. "Awh no no no." He followed her like a poochyena and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Even if he knew she didn't mean it he still never liked to think about upsetting her. His lips tickled her neck as he grazed it. "I'm sorry. You know I could never judge you especially when there are no flaws to judge."

Cynthia chuckled before turning around in his arms. What a ridiculous man. Of course, she had flaws but he was such a romantic at heart he would never say that. From their playful mornings (some days were more like afternoons) to romantic evenings they were so in love. Some might say they were grossly in love but neither one really cared what other people thought about their relationship because they were happy. "Oh really?"

Steven gently cupped her cheek as he let out a small sigh of relief when he saw the smile back on her face. "Yes really. I love you so so much."

Her lips pressed against his softly while her shoulders relaxed in his arms. "And I love you so so so much." They both had let down a lot of walls to let each other in. Neither one had ever been that emotionally intimidate with another person before. "You know you could have woken me up."

"Yeah but it's much more fun to complain about it," he teased.

Cynthia rolled her eyes before they filled with mischief. "You know what I had a dream about? How when we first met you were weirdly gazing at me through the window?"

Steven quickly sat up and ran a hand through his hair to prevent her from seeing how red his face was. "I seem to remember our first meeting very differently." He chuckled softly before standing up and starting to put his clothes on. "See what I remembered is I stared because you looked familiar."

Cynthia chuckled at how flustered he was. She sat up and wrapped the sheet around her while she stretched and looked for her clothes. "A likely story."

Steven turned back around and stared mesmerized by the woman only covered by a sheet. "Okay maybe I was goggling a little," he hummed as he dropped his shirt back onto the ground before going back to her and kissing her passionately.


	21. Others

**This one is kind of inspired by a comment I recently received combined with something I had been working on for a while. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all the supportive feedback!  
**

* * *

Cynthia was never the biggest birthday person... but who didn't get slightly excited for their special day? Of course, she treasured the birthdays at her home in Celestic Town sharing homemade cake with her grandmother and sister however, this year both family members were unfortunately in another region for her grandmother's research. She hadn't been too bummed out though because she figured this year would be different since she had actually started seeing someone. The man was a young Sinnoh politician. It had been fairly early into their relationship and she wasn't sure if they were actually official. However despite the status of their relationship, at the bare minimum, she figured he'd take her out to dinner. That idea was thrown away when she found out he had an important conference to attend to in Kanto. It was now the day of and he had yet to even wish her a happy birthday.

The blonde was brought out of her trance at the Pokemon League when she felt a nuzzle against her shoulder. Of course, her loyal Garchomp knew when something was wrong. "Thanks, Garchomp. Who needs him anyway?"

The Elite Four Members prepared a really nice party for her during lunchtime so she couldn't complain too much because their friendship meant more to her than any relationship. However, just thinking that added to her gut feeling that the relationship wasn't going to work out. He was a very attractive and intelligent man but something about him felt off but she had been trying to ignore it. After packing up for the day (with still no word from the man) she flew back to her apartment.

When she arrived back she discovered a brown package outside her door. Upon further inspection, she could tell it was not from the man she had been seeing because the handwriting was too pristine to be his. While his was good, this one was way better. After bringing it inside, Cynthia sat on her couch to invesigate it further. There was something very familiar about the handwriting, particularly the way her name was written. Even though she could not yet place who's handwriting it was, she couldn't wait any longer and decided to just open it.

Inside was a blue leather book that with a gold title that read 'Orbs Throughout History.' Her eyes lit up since she couldn't not be amazed at such a unique subject. History was very much one of her greatest passions so for someone to find a book that she hadn't read was very surprising. After the initial shock, she opened the book and found a note.

 _"Dear Cynthia,_

 _First off I'd like to wish you a very Happy Birthday. Over the past couple of months, you have become one of my dearest friends. You are an incredible woman who I am lucky to have gotten to know._

 _I was passing by a rare book store and I saw this book which immediately made me think of you._

 _I hope you enjoy it and I hope your day is as special as you are._

 _With Love,_  
 _Steven Stone"_

Her heart thudded in her chest like a jackhammer as she reread the message. It was such a sweet gesture that she honestly never expected. The Hoenn Champion was not only charming but a very good friend. He constantly made an effort to be there for her since the start of their friendship. Becoming so close with him had been one of the best parts of becoming champion.

Cynthia glanced at the time and figured it was probably about 11 pm where he was. They had shared many phone calls so she knew he'd be up right now probably doing some work for Devon Corp or organizing those stones of his. It would be rude not to thank him so she decided what better time than right then.

After a few moments of her pokégear ringing, his face appeared on the screen with his usual messy bangs and charming smile. It had been a few weeks since the last time they spoke so they were both happy her birthday finally gave them a reason to. "To what do I owe the pleasure, birthday girl."

Cynthia smiled and relaxed into her couch. "Well, I just received your gift and wanted to thank you. It's so sweet. I can't believe I have never heard of this book before."

Steven smiled wider than he had before. He knew she'd love it and had been looking forward to her reaction for days after sending it. The Hoenn Champion was aware of her current relationship since he had discovered the news on the cover of a magazine. It had really surprised him not only because she had not told him herself but because of his constant confused feelings for the woman. Was he jealous? He'd never admit it but her happiness was always something he would try to contribute to no matter what. "Of course. I just had to get it. It seemed too obscure to not get for a history fiend who's read basically everything."

Cynthia chuckled and nodded before drifting to a silence. Why was this the highlight of her birthday? There was such a connection between them that neither one could explain. It felt like so much more than friendship yet that's all they were.

Steven raised an eyebrow when he noticed something was off. Her smile seemed to twitch when she had slipped to a silence. Then he started to connect the dots like how come she was calling him when it was a Friday night, her birthday and clearly she was off of work. "I am a little surprised you're calling me right now. Shouldn't you be out celebrating?"

Her smile faded a bit more as she looked away. She was rather embarrassed by the fact that this was all she was doing. "Oh no... I'm just spending my evening in."

Steven furrowed his brows clearly not accepting the answer. "But it's your 20th birthday? That's awful. I was sure you'd have plans with…" He trailed off realizing he had started saying something he shouldn't have.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at where the rest of that statement was obviously going. She wasn't sure why she hadn't mentioned it to him but maybe she just wanted to separate him from that part of her life. It was probably something that she should have told him personally but she just hadn't figured out the right way too. Despite her curiosity, she noticed his cheeks being a slightly red tint and decided it was for the best not to press and embarrass him. "No, Georga has some conference in Kanto he had to go to."

His jaw was visibly clenched at the statement. That was extremely rude of him to do to such an amazing woman. How did this guy manage to date her but yet somehow just ignore her birthday? It made no sense to him. "I'm so sorry to hear that. If I would have known you'd be alone I would have flown out." That's when an idea struck him. He checked his watch and tilted his head, already calculating numbers in his head. "I mean I still could?"

Cynthia's jaw dropped at his absurd statement. "Steven, don't be ridiculous."

He shook his head and started standing up while still managing the call. "If I leave now I can be there by 11 your time. We can celebrate your last hour. Or even tomorrow too if you are free and wouldn't mind me staying."

She couldn't tell if he was joking or not but knowing Steven...he probably was serious. "I would hate to bother you if you were busy."

Steven shook his head and gave that classic smile of his. "Nonsense, I have nothing going on I swear."

After several hours of reading the new book she had recieved, Cynthia couldn't believe at 10:45 she was actually getting a knock on the door. She opened the door and there he was, somehow earlier than he promised. The blonde shook her head at the man who had also managed to buy a small cake for her in the very short time. It didn't look like the normal lavish style that Steven was associated with but it was an extremely sweet gesture nonetheless. The Sinnoh Champion stared at him astonished before chuckling and shaking her head. "Why on earth are you like this?" she teased before pulling him into a tight hug.

The warm embrace made everything worth it. He held her close with his free hand as he chuckled. "What can I say? I couldn't let you spend your birthday alone."

Cynthia smiled genuinely before opening the door for him to come in. The shock had not worn off that he had really done all of this for her.

The blue-haired-man entered her apartment and placed the cake down on the table in her kitchen. When she wasn't looking Steven stared at her for a long moment letting out a content sigh. Her hair somehow looked more radiant than usual. While she was simply wearing a black turtleneck and leggings it complimented her form so well. Why couldn't he break this spell? No matter how hard he tried she filled his thoughts. Steven quickly regained himself when she turned back to him with a bright smile. "So how's it feel to be 20 now?"

Cynthia once again rolled her eyes. She always acted older than she was but Steven liked to brag about his year and a half age advantage over her. "It feels like I'm almost as old as you are."

Steven rolled his eyes playfully back. While he used his age as a joke over her it was a double edge sword when she'd return with jokes that he was way older than he actually was. "Oh please, you make it seem like I'm ancient. I'm twenty-one."

"22 in a few months," Cynthia corrected before chuckling. After a moment she shrugged and glanced at the ground. "I guess it hasn't really set in yet."

Steven nodded understandingly. "Well I mean that's because you've barely celebrated it." All he could do is attempt to make the remaining bit of her birthday special. Steven pulled out one of her chairs and gestured for her to sit down.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at his actions but he just smiled. After a pause, she obliged and sat down in the chair.

After pushing her in Steven pulled out two candles that together read 20. He put them on the cake before pulling out a match and lighting them. Finally, he switched off her lights so the candles were the only thing illuminating the room.

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh as he lamely sung all of 'Happy Birthday' by himself. Even in the candlelit room, she could see him blushing brightly. For someone so shy he had a pretty decent voice. She had heard him sing once before when she had played the piano for him. Despite his introvertive personality. He was determined to finish the song. The man was committed but still sweetly endearing. When he was done she applauded the man. "Wow bravo!"

Steven chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Sure sure. Tease all you want," he said running his hand through his hair. "Okay, blow out the candles and make a wish."

 _Make a wish_. She glanced up at the man and saw him gazing at her with his beautiful blue eyes. Then she thought back to their warm embrace after his arrival. She closed her eyes and blew the candles. After blowing them out she felt guilty for wishing for what she had.

Steven grinned and turned on the light. He hadn't noticed the blonde starting "Alright. Let's do this." He went to her cabinets and pulled out some plates. As he placed them on the table he noticed how she nearly looked like she was tearing up. Something was wrong but he wasn't quite sure what had changed in the last minute. He knelt down in front of her and frowned. "Hey, what's wrong? Was my singing that bad?"

Why could he make her laugh in moments like this? Why was he so much more charming? Why was this so confusing? She shook her head tried to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall down her face. "No of course not. I just… Don't know what I'm doing? Why didn't he call, today? Why am I even seeing this guy?"

"He didn't call," he repeated as his jaw was extremely tense, taking in her words and realizing who she was talking about. After a moment he knew this wasn't the time to be selfish. "Oh, Cynth…" He gently placed a hand on her cheek and brushed away a tear. "I don't want to overstep my place but I will say you deserve better than a guy who doesn't call you on your birthday. You're truly amazing. I know that if I was seeing you- someone I would do everything I could to make them have a special day."

Cynthia sighed at his touch. She wished these feelings would go away since she wanted to be professional. "I'm sorry. This is hardly appropriate. It's very immature actually."

The man quickly shook his head. "Oh stop. If you're upset I'd much rather you talk about it then deal with it on your own."

His sincere worried expression made her feel confident enough to admit how she had been feeling. "I think I just got caught up with what everyone wanted."

Steven listened intently knowing exactly what she meant. "The second people start caring about your name they like to pair you up with other well-known people. What pretty person would this other pretty person look good with?"

Cynthia's eyes widened as he had completely nailed how she had been feeling. "Exactly! I don't know why I got caught up in all of that. Truth is... Truth is he's very boring and I don't know why I'm involving myself with him because it's certainly not for me."

Steven sighed and ran his hand down her arm. He felt a pinch of relief that this wasn't something she truly invested in. If she was going to date a guy he at least wanted it to be someone who was good to her. He had never met the man but from what he could find out he seemed very serious, older than he was and kind of boring. It didn't make sense why Cynthia was dating him but that had been up to her. Steven's motives for them ending weren't bad, he just was looking out for her... right? "You have to do what makes you happy. Screw everyone else."

Cynthia sighed and nodded. He was right. Maybe one day that would mean figuring out how she felt about the man in front of her. "You're right."

Steven nodded. He had fallen so hard for the blonde it was just so difficult with the distance. After a moment he pulled away and handed her a slice of cake.

Cynthia watched him put so much thought into every little thing he did when he was around her. From the size of the slice of cake to the way, he sat down next to her. She just didn't know what it meant.

* * *

A month later there was a charity gala in Unova. Cynthia had since broken up with George and had tried to figure out what she in fact wanted. While these galas were very dull she always looked forward to going because she'd at least be in the company of her closest friend. However, this time Steven had brought a date which had certainly come as a surprise. Cynthia crossed her arms at the party while watching her best friend speak intently to the woman. She was a tall brunette in a very beautiful blue dress. Something about her was familiar but she couldn't exactly place it. All she knew was the way the way the two laughed had her furious.

Of course, she wanted his happiness but she had really been looking forward to spending the evening with him. That's it nothing else... right?

"I can't believe ut either. We were all shocked when he said he had a date tonight. The man can be super private about his love life."

Cynthia's eyes widened and she turned to see the ghost type Hoenn Elite Four Member. The girl was very close with Steven so Cynthia inevitably had many conversations with her as well.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow at the woman. "You know I'm sure he'd still love to see you though. You don't have to hide out here the whole time."

Cynthia tried to hide her blush by looking away. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Would you excuse me? I think I'm going to head to my hotel room."

Before Phoebe could say another word the Sinnoh Champion had disappeared.

The woman had gone to coat check-in and was already waiting for the clerk to find it. She'd be gone in less than two minutes, however, a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Are you leaving already? I haven't even seen you yet?" The man stood there with a sweet smile and his hands in his pockets casually.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow slightly. The woman who had been by his side the entire night wasn't with him at the moment. She avoided his gaze as she brushed down her gold gown. "Yes… I feel a bit under the weather."

His expression was immediately concerned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like me to escort you home? I'd hardly want you to go back by yourself when you aren't feeling well."

Cynthia blushed at his comment. While he was offering what she had been wanting for the past hour she didn't know if she'd be able to manage a conversation with him anymore. "No no no. I'd hardly want to interrupt your evening."

Steven furrowed his brows since he really didn't like the idea of her going home alone when she wasn't feeling well. It really wasn't that far a walk.

Before he could say anything else the woman from earlier came over to where they were and handed Steven a drink. "There you are." She glanced over at Cynthia and offered a tense smile. "Steven, who is this?"

The Sinnoh Champion felt her shoulders tighten at the additional presence. She really had tried to avoid this. After a moment, she extended her hand to the woman politely. She didn't wait for Steven's introduction. "Cynthia. I'm the champion of Sinnoh."

The woman shook her hand back. "Oh well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Jessica Flint. I'm a reporter for the Hoenn News Network."

Cynthia nodded. That's where she had seen her before. She didn't realize that was Steven's type. However, if she was a reporter she definitely knew who Cynthia was and this was some sort power move. Cynthia should have cared more but at this point, she refused to believe she di. "That's very interesting." She noticed her coat had been placed on the end of the counter. "I'm sorry but I really should get going."

Steven frowned and glanced at Jessica before shaking his head. "Hey, I'm gonna walk her back to the hotel. I'll be back soon," he said before handing her his drink.

Jessica raised an eyebrow as she held his drink "Oh? Sure. That's fine."

Steven had asked for his coat before Cynthia could even protest.

While he was away Jessica gave a slightly annoyed expression but Cynthia just ignored it. She wasn't in the mood for this kind of game... however, if she was she'd point out that Steven was leaving Jessica to go with her.

After a moment of awkwardness, Steven returned and offered his usual smile. "Ready to go?" Steven asked Cynthia.

She nodded simply as she started to leave she saw out of the corner of her eye Steven kissing Jessica's cheek before following along.

As they walked along the path Steven raised an eyebrow at how quiet she was being. "So how have you been overall?" The two had exchanged a phone call after Cynthia had broken up with George and she seemed to have been doing better. However, seeing her in person acting sort of off made him think otherwise.

Cynthia shrugged and just looked down at the pavement. "I've been fine."

Steven raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry I didn't see you till now. I was introducing Jessica to a bunch of people." He was trying to get some sort of true Cynthia response from her but nothing seemed to be getting through to her.

Cynthia tensed her shoulders at the name. She just wanted to go home alone. The last thing she wanted was to hear about his latest girlfriend. To be fair this was very unlike him but she wasn't really thinking straight."She seems nice."

Steven kept trying to get a glance of her expression. "She's very nice. We met after I did an interview for Devon. She's very smart and successful. It's been a very... different experience." He had to force the words out despite him previously thinking that the statement was true. He was trying to get past his feelings for his closest friend and was actually moving on... so why was this so weird. Cynthia wouldn't look at him which had never been a thing before.

Cynthia just nodded her head simply. "You seem very happy with her."

"I am," he said softly. After being unable to bear the treatment any longer he turned around and started walking backwards to look at her. "Why won't you look at me, Cynth?"

Cynthia sighed as she continued to diverge eye contact with the man which was getting increasingly hard with him being right in her face. "What are you talking about? Steven I just don't feel good and would really like to go to bed."

Steven frowned because he wasn't buying this excuse anymore. "Have I done something? I don't understand. Even if you were sick... you'd look at me."

Cynthia shook her head. "Of course not. I'm just not having a good day."

That caused him to become very worried and pause for a moment. Her statement certainly made him start to overthink the situation. Steven frowned and carefully grabbed her arms. "Has someone hurt you?"

Cynthia flinched and looked at the didn't want to tell him that he was the one who hurt her. That wouldn't be fair. "No of course not. You are overthinking this. I don't like being sick and you just decided for me I might add to escort me to the hotel. So can we please just go? "

Steven stared at her sincerely as her words stung him. She wasn't wrong, he did decide to take her to the hotel when she initially declined him. Guilt filled his body as he noticed she still wasn't looking at him. However, he didn't want to push her anymore because he felt like somehow he was making things worse. "Okay." He walked with her silently for the rest of the way to the hotel feeling very confused and guilty.

Cynthia glanced at him. She knew he was upset now and that's not what she had wanted. After a moment she turned to him and looked him in the eyes. It wasn't fair to blame him for her bad mood especially with everything he'd done for her. "Thank you for walking me home, Steven. I'm sorry for the outburst. I just-"

"Don't feel good. I get it." A sigh escaped his lips as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He was relieved she finally was looking at her but still... something seemed off still and he couldn't place why. He stared at her intently. "You know you can tell me anything right? Like if you ever need anything I'm here."

Cynthia bit her lip and nodded. "I know. Thank you...I'll talk to you later." With that, she turned around and went into the hotel.

Steven watched her go and sighed. He slumped back to the party visibly distraught. He just didn't understand why Cynthia was being so distant. Once the Hoenn Champion back in the bustling ballroom he was too distracted to notice Wallace approaching him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Why so glum Steven? I thought you'd be having a wonderful night?" Wallace asked with a raised eyebrow.

Steven crossed his arms. While Wallace might be nosey he did know him better than anyone else so it couldn't hurt to get his take on the situation. "Cynthia just seemed really off today. She said she was sick so I walked her home, right? But she wouldn't look at me? It was really weird like she was mad at me."

Wallace bit his lip trying to figure out how someone could be so blind. Steven had been the same level of upset when he found out about the woman's relationship with the Sinnoh politician but instead of avoiding Cynthia, Steven, on the other hand, convinced her to end things with the other man. Wallace mentally facepalmed realizing how dence his bestfriend was. "I mean have you done anything to upset her?"

Steven shook his head. "Of course not… I just offered to take her home."

Wallace took his hand off his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Maybe it was something different you did this time."

Steven raised an eyebrow and turned toward him. "What do you mean different?"

Wallace gave him an incredulous look. "I mean you were distracted tonight. Which is totally fine if that's what you want."

"Distracted?" I mean sure he hadn't talked to her because of... That's when he noticed Jessica talking to another guy across the room. They seemed awfully close especially with the way she was touching his arm. "Because of Jessica?"

Wallace nodded as he shrugged. "Maybe Cynthia felt a little blindsided by you bringing her. A lot of us were. I honestly thought you were into someone else…."

Steven rubbed his temple at the sore subject. He had already told Wallace he was over these feelings. "Please not this again."

Wallace shrugged. "I'd just be careful. You are playing a messy game. Even if it's just from a friend point, usually you two are practically inseparable at these events. This time you waited two hours to even go up to her."

Steven swallowed hard at the truth behind the statement. He wasn't sure why exactly he had even brought a date. Was it absentmindedly to make Cynthia jealous and want him more? No wonder why she had seemed so upset, he had been playing with her emotions. "I see…" He had wanted to push Cynthia away rather than having to deal with falling any harder for her but now her hurt expression was trapped in his mind.

Wallace sighed. "I just don't know why you are in such denial. It's very clear to everyone that there is an attraction between you two."

Steven shook his head because he couldn't deal with those kinds of thoughts. He had to fix their friendship first. "It's not that easy." He brushed off his coat before glancing back at his date. "Look I think I'm going go. I'll see you later." As he headed toward Jessica he thought about how the woman was interesting but he felt like he was being the Steven everyone thought he was not who he actually was. Cynthia, on the other hand, embraced his true self. When he finally arrived to Jessica he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey. Jess, I think I'm starting to feel unwell too. I'm going to0 "

Jessica looked over from her conversation and nodded. "Oh okay. I think I'm going to stick around." She barely seemed phased which showed how much she seemed to care.

However, Steven didn't care either at this point. "Of course," he muttered before leaving her with whoever she was talking to. As he walked to the hotel, he pulled out his phone and looked at Cynthia's contact. Maybe part of him did want to get a rise out of Cynthia. Despite how often he tried to say they were just friends he knew deep down that wasn't the case. He wanted to call her and make things right but he just didn't know what she wanted anymore. Finally, Steven stopped walking and decided to just call her because he did really want to catch up and spend time with her. After a minute of ringing, she finally picked up. "Hey, are you still up."

There was a moment of pause before she responded. "Yeah."

Steven entered the hotel and sighed. "Can we hang out and catch up? Just the two of us? I know it's late. I just can't stay at that stupid event anymore," he muttered as he loosened his tie nervously.

"What about Jessica?" Her tone wasn't bitter but more confused and concerned. While she was jealous she always would prefer his happiness above all else so hearing him so frustrated was alarming.

"She was talking to some other guy at the party. I don't know. It was weird. It doesn't matter," Steven responded pretty nonchalantly.

She paused again. "Of course. What room are you in?"

Steven thought about how he and Jessica had planned on sharing a room so that was a grey area for sure. "Would it be cool if I came to yours?" He knew at some point Jessica would either get her bag or he'd just have to get a new room. Either way, he knew it was best to avoid that.

Cynthia didn't question any of it and just gave him her room number. She had been pretty upset but trying to force herself not to cry (okay she might have failed a little but not too much). She had changed into leggings and a sweater after leaving the party and had decided to watch some crappy tv show. When there was a knock on the door she opened it up and saw Steven with a spooked expression. "Hey, are you okay?" She carefully pulled him in and shut the door behind him. The blonde lead him to her bed so he could sit down.

Steven blinked at her before nodding. He sat down and ran a hand through his hand anxiously. "Of course yeah. I just… I don't know tonight was weird and I feel like I acted out and let some people down."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at him as she poured him a cup of tea. "I'm not following?" She handed him the cup before sitting beside him on the bed. "But even still I hardly see how you let anyone down."

Steven glanced at her before taking a sip of the tea. "I don't know. I get really out of character with dates and I just wasn't enjoying it I guess?"

Cynthia sighed. "I get that…" she said softly remembering the prior month with what she had gone through. "Did you really like her?"

Steven sighed and shrugged. "I think a bit but it seemed mostly like a distraction." How was she so kind to him? Even after everything. "Hey, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you till later or like tell you about her. I just..." He wanted to explain why but the words couldn't escape his lips.

However, she didn't seem to need an explanation. "You really do not need to apologize. We're good. I promise." She stroked his hair back into place to ease.

The two stared at each other and felt the connection between them grow. However, a loud noise on the television startled them out of their trance.

Steven raised an eyebrow at the tv to try and hide his blush. "Wow this looks like garbage Cynth, I expected better from you," he teased.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Oh like you are any better! You're the one who likes rom coms! I don't want to hear it," she teased back poking his chest. Despite the bickering, both felt like a little progress had been made when it came to figuring out how they felt.


	22. Sinnoh Snow

**Hello! I have a new All Grown Up Jade story coming out tomorrow but I figured I'd write something shorter like I used to as a special holiday treat. Feedback keeps me going! Also, let me know if you like the shorter stories like I used to do. I kind of want to do more of them alongside the long ones. Anyways, until tomorrow!**

* * *

Steven had been waiting outside of Cynthia's apartment for about five minutes. It was supposed to be their first holiday together as a couple however he couldn't seem to get a hold of her. He had tried calling and texting but she still hadn't answered. The cold Sinnoh snow was coming down hard which was always his least favorite part of visiting his lovely girlfriend.

Eventually, he hovered his hand over his poké balls debating whether or not he should just use Metagross or Skarmory to lift him up. However, he scrunched up his face and decided against it, not wanting to invade her privacy. "Cynthia, where are you?"

Right after the words left his lips he felt something hit his back. He scrunched up his face and turned around. There was the blonde Sinnoh champion with a rather mischievous smile on her face. "I couldn't help it. I went out the back to surprise you," she teased brushing off her gloves from the snow left on them from the snowball she had just thrown.

Of course. He should have known better with her. Cynthia was the most fiery person he had ever met. The thought of spending the next week with her made him excited for the holiday season for the first time in years. She was something else and he was head over heels. After a moment of staring at her astonished a chuckle escaped his lips. "Oh, you are so going to regret that." He put down his bags and started to ball up a snowball of his own. Steven then proceeded to chase after her.

"Steven!" she yelled as she ran away from him.

Once he finally hit her with a snowball (that wasn't as precise as hers was but he had tried his best), she held up her hands. "Truce! This was fun but I've missed you."

Steven smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh I've missed you so much," he said before kissing her passionately.

Her arms wrapped around his neck. She felt like she was right back where she belonged. In his arms. She kissed him back with just as much passion until she felt his body shiver. "Come on let's go inside. I've already started a fire."

Steven smiled and took her hand. "That sounds great, especially since you've kept me outside for ten minutes now," he teased.

Cynthia started leading him back to her apartment building. "Oh please. You've got to adapt to the Sinnoh snow at some point." She picked up one of his bags and kissed his cheek before opening the door to the building.

Steven chuckled and picked up the other. Sure Sinnoh was cold but he knew the holidays with her would be the best he'd ever had.


	23. Christmas Surprises

**This is a continuation of All Grown Up, Best Day Ever, and A Trip to Hoenn so if you haven't read those you might want to before this one. I bet no one expected me to make something for Christmas with how absent I've been from this site lately... well neither did I at first but then I really liked this chapter a lot. So I hope you enjoy. I think it's one of my best ones, to be honest.** ** **Also if you haven't already, check out the shorter story I posted yesterday!** Let me know what you think! Your feedback keeps me going! Enjoy! Also Happy Holidays everyone!**

* * *

Steven should have realized sooner that the holidays would be hard on his wife this year. This year not only was the first year without Cynthia's grandmother but Jade was still out on her first journey through Sinnoh and her sister Violet was currently in Kanto doing some research. Neither Cynthia nor Steven expected the two girls to make it to Sinnoh with their obviously busy schedule. In addition, Steven's parents were out on some holiday cruise so they were definitely unavailable that year. On the night of December 20th, Steven and Cynthia were eating dinner at their home for the first night in a couple of days. They had been attending many holiday parties so it was finally nice to catch their breath and really talk about what they were actually going to do on Christmas. Steven was determined to find a solution to his wife's holiday blues."What if we went to Alola for Christmas? Who knows the next time we'll be able to go on vacation with the baby coming? I hear it's beautiful this time of year?"

Cynthia glanced over at her husband before shrugging. "I don't know..." After a moment she looked back down and used her fork to play with her peas. While she totally understood what he was trying to do at that moment she'd much rather just use her days off to avoid the constant holiday buzz. The woman was tired of Christmas being shoved in her face with all the holidays, having to send out cards and presents. She was exhausted from it all. Steven was amazing and her other half but she missed her big family. "Could we just take a year off from Christmas?"

The request was very alarming since usually, Cynthia loved the holidays. However, Steven nodded hesitantly not wanting to make her feel any worse. "I um...Well if that's what you really want."

After dinner, Steven told Cynthia he had a Devon Corp work call he had to make and went into his office. However, he was actually trying to figure out a plan to surprise Cynthia for Christmas. The former Hoenn champion paced back and forth trying to think of something he could do. It would have to be here in Sinnoh since she didn't want to travel. After a moment, he glanced at the family photo on his desk and smiled. In the photo was his parents, Violet, Cynthia's grandmother, Jade, Cynthia and himself. While his parents weren't available it couldn't hurt to ask Jade and Violet. Especially since they had still not told Jade about Cynthia's pregnancy and while his wife had barely gained any weight he wasn't sure how much longer either one could hide this from their firstborn daughter. Steven picked up his pokégear and first called his daughter.

After a few rings, Jade's face appeared on the screen."Hey, Dad. What's up?" She was currently camped just outside Canalave City, preparing for her gym battle with Byron.

It was always a little worrisome for Steven to see his daughter always alone. She never seemed very interested in children her own. It was a trait that came from both Cynthia and himself. That was except for Steven's persistent childhood friend. While the two of them had grown out of it, for the most part, that didn't mean he wanted his daughter to wait as long as they had to let others in. However, he didn't want to bring it up especially since Jade had kept her promise about contacting Officer Jenny about her "fan club" that had been stalking her. He wished she could make friends that weren't crazy. Instead of bringing that up though, he proceeded to smile. "Good evening. I just have a quick question. What are the odds you can come home for Christmas?"

Jade paused as she thought about his question. "I hadn't really thought about it but it's not like I made plans or thought that far ahead." To be honest, Christmas had slipped the ten-year-old's mind. She had been busy training her pokémon with the conference only a couple months away and her next gym leader just around the corner.

Steven couldn't help but think that Christmas was 5 days away and it wasn't exactly far ahead, but he figured that Jade must have been very busy. "I'm trying to surprise your mother... I think she's been feeling down since your great-grandmother isn't here this year." He let out a sad sigh before looking back at his daughter. "We totally understand if you can't. I just think it would mean a lot to her.

After a moment of Jade calculating a few things in her head, she nodded. "Sure I can make it work." Her mother deserved support this Christmas and if that meant her coming home for a day she would be there in a heartbeat.

Steven grinned knowing his wife would be thrilled. "Amazing. Thank you, Jade."

After figuring out some details with his daughter, his next task was to call his wife's sister, Violet. The 25-year-old woman had a very teasing nature which at first Steven had to get used to. Growing up an only child he wasn't sure how to interact with the younger woman. However, over the years they had grown close and often acted liked siblings to each other.

This time it took a couple more rings for Violet to answer. "Steven do you realize how late it is here" the purple haired woman hissed as she answered the call.

"My apologies. I didn't realize how- " He cut himself off when he noticed the unusual home she was in. Definitely didn't look like a Pokémon Center. Along with her whispering tone which he didn't was possible for the woman. Something was up he just knew it. "Wait, where are you?"

The woman's face turned bright red at his comment. "Did you really call me to check on my location? Aren't you able to track me with that company of yours?"

A smirk appeared on the man's face. The last time something like this happened, Cynthia had discovered the woman was seeing a trainer from Unova. However, it had been shortlived and they hadn't heard about her love life in a few months. "Devon Corp doesn't support tracking since it would be an invasion of privacy, Violet. However, it is nice to know there is someone new in your life."

The woman's brows furrowed as she turned a brighter shade of red. Steven learning how to tease her back was not something she expected when she first met him all those years ago. At first, he honestly seemed very nervous about it. She'd have to get him back since he had gotten too comfortable. "Steven I swear to Arceus if you don't just tell me why you called I'll-"

Steven chuckled and decided to leave the topic alone. "I wanted to see if I could convince you to come to Sinnoh for Christmas."

Violet's face softened as she thought over his question "I don't know. I want to but it's hard with my research..." However, she knew Steven was aware of that so she figured he had a good reason to be asking. "Why? Is everything okay?"

Steven let out a sigh. "Sort of… I think Cynthia's been feeling down. Especially with the baby and all and it's the first year without..." He trailed off knowing Violet was probably taking the absence of their grandmother just as hard.

Violet paused. It had been a while since she had seen her sister, and she did want to see how she was handling the pregnancy. Plus despite her new love interest, it was still rather early in the relationship. Holidays were a bit too soon even for how much she liked them. Along with that, it was the first Christmas without their grandmother and while she had been trying to avoid thinking about it, she had been feeling down about it. It was part of the reason she had been trying to work on the holiday. Seeing her sister might bring some comfort to both of them. Finally, she let out a sigh and nodded. "Yeah sure. I'll be there… But if you tell Cynthia anything about where I am I swear I will make you regret it."

* * *

It was the night before Christmas and Cynthia was fast asleep. Not Steven though. He had a plan to put into motion. Steven spent the entire night setting up all the Christmas decorations which were a lot of work given the size of the home. However, with the help of not only his pokémon but also Cynthia's he was able to turn their house as magical as it usually was this time of year. Metagross and Garchomp set up the Christmas lights outside. Lucario and Aggron helped him decorate the trees. Roserade made beautiful holiday bouquets. Armaldo helped make cookies. Togekiss set up the mistletoe. Wherever they could, the pokémon came together to set up the surprise. Steven was very thankful for the help. They did it all in a single night rather than over a period of time like previous years.

At six a.m. he received more help when a very grumpy Violet had arrived. She couldn't believe Steven had booked her such an early flight. However, her brother in law pointed out that she had probably slept the entire flight so what did it matter.

After the two of them had started on breakfast, Steven handed the woman a cup of tea once it was ready.

Violet had been watching him carefully. Of course, he looked exhausted he had been up all night. While she appreciated what he was doing for his sister, she was worried about his health. She accepted the cup and took a sip. "So what time is Jade getting here?"

Steven took a sip of his coffee hoping the caffeine would get him through the day. "She texted me she had left about a half hour ago so probably within the next half hour."

Violet nodded and looked down at her cup. "You know... as much as this flight destroyed me, I will say this is a really nice thing to do."

Steven raised an eyebrow at her chuckled. "Wow did you just say something nice? To me?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "I'm very mature Steven! I'm not 16 year's old anymore. I can be civil."

"I know. Thank you," Steven assured before smiling mischievously again."So this guy?"

The woman choked on her tea before glaring. "STEVEN!"

The yell had officially woken up Cynthia upstairs. The blonde stirred before glancing at the clock. Who was yelling at 8 in the morning? She put on her robe and started to head down the stairs. Halfway down the steps, she started to notice everything. Garland on the railings. The Christmas tree was up. The smell from the kitchen. Her heart dropped. She knew he was worried but why this? When she had specifically asked him not to. "Why?"

The bickering stopped when they heard her come downstairs. Steven swallowed hard and gestured Violet to stay back. He was going to try and save the surprise as best he could. He had been hoping Jade would be here when Cynthia woke up so she'd feel surprised rather than betrayed but what could he do.

Steven walked to the stairwell and offered a smile. "Hey good morning… I um well..."

Cynthia shook her head feeling very overwhelmed. "Steven... I asked you not to." She thought he understood her. It was one Christmas off. A request that wasn't unreasonable. Tears started to fill her eyes as she stared at her husband.

Guilt consumed him. Of course, she had a right to be upset. He just hoped he could explain everything and not completely mess things up."No no no. I didn't mean to hurt you. I-"

Before Steven could finish, the door opened with the ten-year-old behind it. Jade had opened it as slowly as she could since she didn't want to wake up her mother. "Hello?" Her brows furrowed when she saw her father standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Dad?" She followed his gaze to the top of the steps and saw her mother looking very upset. She figured something must have messed up before she arrived."Surprise?"

Violet figured it was time for her to come out of hiding too. "Surprise?"

The Sinnoh Champion's eyes widened and stared at them before looking back at Steven. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe they were there.

"I know you were adamant about not celebrating the holidays but I wanted to do something for you. You love Christmas and your family. I just wanted to make you feel better. This was the least I could do," Steven said with a sheepish smile. He was praying this would all be fine and she'd be happy in a couple seconds.

Lucky for Steven, a huge grin appeared on his wife's face. Cynthia raced down the stairs to hug the two younger girls. "I can't believe you guys are actually here. How?"

Violet chuckled and hugged her older sister back. "Steven called a couple nights ago. It's so good to see you, sis!"

Jade smiled at her mother. "It wasn't as hard for me. I just had to take a day off from sleeping outside and eating bad food so I could come back to our nice warm home filled with real food. It really didn't take much convincing."

Steven let out a sigh of relief before leaning against the wall watching his wife hug her family. That was a little to close for comfort but at least she was happy.

Eventually, Cynthia turned back Steven and shook her head. "Your surprises are going to give me a heart attack," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck."I was really about to tell you off! You really shouldn't do this with the baby."

Everyone went silent. Jade's face went white at the statement. Steven and Cynthia's eyes filled with panic once they realized what had happened.

Jade's eyes immediately went to her mother's stomach and felt herself sink. She was confused, surprised, hurt, and stressed. Her heart was pounding as she tried to wrap her head around the situation.

After a moment Violet broke the silence when she awkwardly coughed. "I'm gonna let you guys talk this out and go open some spiked cider," she said before backing into the kitchen.

Once Violet had left, Jade swallowed hard as she put her bag down."How long have you known?"

Cynthia sighed wishing that had gone a million times differently. She had finally gotten what she wanted but had messed up the opportunity. "Five months..."

Jade closed her eyes. "Five months," she repeated to herself. They had kept it from her for five months. "Who else knows?"

Steven gently placed a hand on Cynthia's back for support. He was also to blame for this and didn't want Cynthia being the only one taking the heat for it. "We've just been waiting to tell you in person."

"So everybody then," Jade asked numbly. She was just trying to figure everything out. They had kept this from their own daughter. Just after they lectured her about being more open to them about her problems with her "fan club." Jade had kept them updated since then and yet they didn't tell her about this. She wasn't mad about the pregnancy. For the first time ever she felt like had belittled her and that hurt.

"Jade I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how you must be feeling," Cynthia said softly. "We've wanted to tell you for so long... I just really wanted to tell you in person."

The blonde haired girl glanced over and saw their concerned expressions. While she was having trouble understanding why she did trust them. After all her parents had done for her the least she could do was suppress the conversation until after Christmas. She remembered how her father had said her mom was feeling down. Her grandmother and the pregnancy. It made sense. Five months was too long to wait but clearly, they were going to tell her and just wanted to do it personally.

Steven bit his lip and shook his head. "It wasn't just your mother. We both thought it'd be best till we could tell you in person."

Jade absentmindedly placed her hand on her great-grandmother's hair clips that had been passed down to her. "Let's talk about this fully after Christmas. I think I get it but I just need some time." After a few moments, she did start to think about how it would be exciting to have a sibling. "Well, I guess Mom's right, Dad. You shouldn't be scaring her so much." It was better to joke about the situation rather than fight. However, she couldn't help but think about how this would change things.

The two parents let out a sigh of relief. Before saying anything else, Cynthia quickly embraced her daughter. "Thank you, Jade. I'm so glad you finally. You're going to be the best older sister ever."

Steven eventually hugged them as well but as relieved as he was he knew his daughter would need some time to think this over.

Violet's head poked out from behind the corner and smiled that everything seemed to be okay. "Awhhh yay everyone is all caught up on everything. Does that mean we can finally have breakfast?"'

The family chuckled and agreed. "I'm going to change before joining you all," Cynthia smiled before squeezing her daughter's shoulder.

Jade smiled back before taking a shaky breath that she hoped no one else would notice.

* * *

After breakfast everyone exchanged gifts. Despite how adamant she was about not celebrating Christmas, Cynthia had still gotten and wrapped presents. She felt guilty that she had sent her sister's to Kanto since she thought that's where she'd be on Christmas. However, Violet assured her it wasn't a big deal though.

Steven had a feeling that his wife would still get gifts. She couldn't help herself. However, what he hadn't been expecting was the new suit that Cynthia had hand stitched a heart on the inside of its sleeve. He couldn't help but love it. She surprised him every day with what she was capable of.

Along with many other gifts, everyone, of course, received the latest pokégear from Devon Corp.

A couple hours later, the blue-haired man failed to stay awake any longer and had crashed asleep in the living room.

Cynthia chuckled at her husband in the recliner before putting a blanket on him. He definitely deserved a nap after everything he had done. On her way down the hallway, she smiled at a picture of her grandmother. While she wasn't there physically, she knew she was still looking out for her. "Merry Christmas Grandmom," she whispered before joining her sister and daughter in the kitchen.

The two were tinkering with the new pokégear but after a moment, Jade glanced at her mother. "So... is anything going to change with the conference because of the baby?"

The Sinnoh Champion shook her head. "Hopefully nothing. Your father and I have talked about it and then I've talked to the Elite Four. It shouldn't be a problem. While it'll be close I should be able to still battle with the baby coming the next month."

Jade nodded and paused. "Excuse me for a minute." The young girl went to the library and started looking at some books. She would never win the Lily of the Valley Conference. It was impossible this early into her training. It was hard being an over-ambitious girl who was still highly critical and practical when it came to herself. She thought logically which was why she was looking to plans for after the conference. Part of her was ready to lose and move on past Sinnoh. They had many books on all the different regions, however, she didn't know where to start. She had picked up a few and was just about to start reading them when-

A loud greeting interrupted the peaceful home from the other room "Merry Christmas Stone family!"

Jade shook her head since she knew that voice all too well. She let out a sigh and started to put them away. It would be rude to hide in the library from her godfamily.

Steven, who had been happily asleep, grumbled at the loud voice that burst into the home. "What the?" He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes, trying to fully wake up.. "Wallace? What are you-"

Violet smirked as she entered the living room. "I didn't want Cynthia to be the only one surprised." She had made a call to Wallace the day after Steven called her. Of course, the family was happy to spread holiday joy to their extended family

Steven rolled his eyes at his sister in law before standing up to greet the family.

As per usual, Wallace hugged his best friend tightly. "Were you asleep already, Steven? When did you become fifty-years old?"

The former Hoenn champion grumbled a response before giving Winona a hug. "I can't believe you guys are here." As he bent down to greet his godson Dylan, the five-year-old immediately hugged him. "Hey, buddy. Merry Christmas."

It was puzzling to Cynthia how Steven had become Violet's target over the years but she just figured that was them bonding. The woman chuckled before going to hug everyone as well. "Merry Christmas."

Wallace grinned. "Merry Christmas, Cynthia. You look as lovely and lively as ever." The current Hoenn Champion glanced at Steven with his usual smirk. "Despite being married to an old man."

"Wallace I swear to Arceus I'm going to-" Steven cut himself off when he noticed Wallace's son listening with wide eyes. "Nevermind."

Wallace about to make another comment when he was surprised to see the youngest Stone enter the room. "Oh my goodness. No one told me my niece would be here. We thought you'd be too busy!"

Violet scratched her neck. "Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that. Well, surprise... again!"

It didn't take long for Jade to immediately be squished by her aunt and uncle. "Merry Christmas!"

* * *

Right before dinner, Jade offered to feed all pokémon. Truth was she wanted a moment alone. As much as she tried she couldn't help but try to be distracted by her thoughts. What did she do next? Should she even finish the Sinnoh gyms? What did she even want to do with her life?

After contemplating for a few moments, the sound of the door sliding open brought Jade back to reality.

"Well well well I see you're moving along quite well." Wallace could see she now had a team of four. Shieldon, Roselia, a newly added Swablu and finally Metang.

Her head turned and saw her uncle bundled up tightly. He never seemed to like the Sinnoh cold. After a moment Jade smiled and nodded. "Oh for sure. I'm very proud of my team."

Wallace nodded. He had always been close with his niece and could tell when something was on her mind. After observing her during the afternoon he knew something was bothering her, so when he saw her go outside alone he thought he'd investigate.

Jade glanced at the man before looking back at her pokémon. Wallace often brought a unique perspective to problems so maybe he could give her some advice. "You travelled to a bunch of regions before settling in Hoenn right? You and my dad?"

"Oh yes, your father and I went all over. Sinnoh, Kalos, and Unova," he responded.

The girl gently ran her hand across Metang who had been watching her with a concerned expression. "I've just been thinking about what I'm going to do after losing the conference."

That comment caused the teal haired man to frown and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, now we don't talk like that. If you put in the time and effort you could win."

Jade couldn't help but roll her eyes. She had been putting in hard work but it still took time. Experience and different perspectives were what she needed. At the end of the book, her father gave her the boy doesn't win the conference either but continues his journey. She wanted to skip the losing and all the press that would cause, and just continue her journey. Part of her had been hoping her mother would postpone the conference because of the baby. "Let's be real. It's not going to happen this year. Whether or not I try my hardest. No one my age can beat my mother."

"Age has nothing to do with it. You can't predict the results to something that has happened yet," Wallace said crossing his arms. He was surprised to hear this coming from Jade. She had seemed so excited to explore Sinnoh growing up.

Her hands ran through her blonde hair and gently placed a hand on her hair clips once again. "I know... I just... I just don't know if I'm ready to win. I've lived in Sinnoh my entire life. I want to see what else is out there."

That caused Wallace to pause. He thought back to a similar conversation he had with Steven when he was around her age. He had been a promising trainer just like Jade but was scared of being tied down to Hoenn if he had become the champion so young. "Hmmmmm... very interesting." It was terrifying how similar they were.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "What is?"

"Your father said something just like that before his first Ever Grande Conference," Wallace said understandingly. "People expected a lot from him too. He hated the spotlight and all the pressure but eventually, he had to just ignore it."

The girl bit her lip. "I know... I just want to figure things out without those expectations."

Wallace nodded. He couldn't stand to watch her niece doubt herself, just like he couldn't stand seeing Steven doubt himself. "I'll tell you exactly what I told your father to do. Do your best at the conference and I mean it. I'll be watching and if you don't give it your hardest you are going to get a very stern phone call. You don't have to win but finish what you started."

Of course, he was right. Jade knew deep down she'd feel lazy if she didn't. Her head nodded then looked back up at the man. "Then after?"

Wallace's lips curled up. "Then get the hell out of Sinnoh. It's time for you to get out of this tundra. Go explore now while you are young. You weren't meant to just journey through one region."

A chuckle escaped her lips before she remembered the other issue to her leaving. "What about the new baby though... Shouldn't I be there for it? What if my parents need me? What if the baby doesn't know me?"

The Hoenn Champion couldn't help but let out a sigh at his niece's concern. The girl was too sweet for her own good. "Technology is a beautiful thing, gem. You can still be in its life without putting your life on hold. The baby will know you through calls and visits. I mean you aren't planning on leaving forever are you?"

Jade smiled again and shook her head. "Of course not."

Wallace grinned and put his hands back in his pockets. "And if I know your parents, which I can confidently say I do. They wouldn't want you to give up your life and dreams just for the family. They would want you to live your best life. Okay?"

Jade nodded back. "Okay, I guess you are right." She could do this. She'd finish the Sinnoh league, stick around to see the baby be born... then go somewhere else. Wherever that might be. "Thank you, Uncle Wallace."

"Anything for you, gem," he smiled.

As he was about to go back inside Jade asked one more question. "Do you have any recommendations on where to go?"

The man paused before turning his head back to her. "That's for you to decide. I will say wherever it is don't do it alone. It's a lot more fun to let people in." He gave her a knowing look before going back into the warm home.

That caused her to roll her eyes. The only reason people wanted to get to know her was because of who she was the daughter of. She didn't see the point in fake friendships. As she stared out at the yard filled with all kinds of pokémon she couldn't help but think it would be nice to have friends to talk to every once in a while. Maybe her Uncle was right.

Inside, Cynthia was making dinner for everybody, despite Steven insisting he could do it for them. She wouldn't let him do everything for her, besides she wanted to contribute as well.

Instead, Steven decided to show Dylan some of the stones in the house since the boy seemed very interested in all the sparkly bright objects.

Meanwhile, Violet was currently in the library making a phone call to what she said was a friend but Steven was convinced it was whoever she was with a few nights before.

Winona smiled at her son sitting on the floor with her longtime friend before going back to help Cynthia set up the table. "So how is it you're five months pregnant and you look like you've barely gained any weight? I don't know how you do it. It was the same thing when Jade was born."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "I have so gained weight."

"I think you look stunning no matter what!"

Cynthia chuckled at the response from Steven in the living room. "I think you two are both delusional." After putting the finishing touches on the meal she was about to call for Jade, when she came in on her own. "Perfect timing."

Jade smiled sincerely and nodded. "It smells wonderful, Mom."

The older blonde smiled back. "Thanks, Sweetie."

At the same time, Violet had from the library after an hour-long phone call conversation. Her lips were curled up wide, she felt like she was floating. Maybe he was the one. Finally someone worthy to bring home for the holidays and show off to her family. He gave her butterfrees in her stomach.

However, what Violet hadn't noticed was Steven watching her gaze into the distance with daydreamed expression. "I know that look."

The young women snapped her head and saw her brother in law with the same smug look as before. Dylan had gone to sit at the table once he saw Jade was back inside so it was just him watching. She once again blushed and crossed her arms defensively. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I'm sure you don't," Steven chuckled. "I'm not going to tease you anymore. Take your time telling people. Let yourself enjoy whatever it is you are doing with whoever. Figure it out between yourselves. I promised I haven't said anything to Cynthia yet. Just know no matter what, though we get it." After his comment, he walked into the other room and sat next to his wife at the table.

Violet paused before smiling again and placing a hand on the necklace she had found in her suitcase. Maybe it was time to make this relationship official. After a moment she joined the rest of the family at the table.

It had been a very crazy but wonderful day. Cynthia couldn't have asked for a better family. While she wished Steven's parents could be there as well, they had already made plans to visit in the new year. When everyone had gathered around the table the blonde looked around the table and grinned.

"I think Cynthia should make a toast," her husband said with his usual charming smile. Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

Cynthia held up her glass of cider (not spiked the one her sister had been drinking all day). "Thank you all for being here on this beautiful Christmas. I'm grateful for such an amazing and loving family whether they are here with us, not with us anymore, or on the way," she said placing a hand on her stomach. "Merry Christmas everyone and let's dig in!"

* * *

Steven and Cynthia had finally made it to bed around eleven o'clock and to be honest the blonde was surprised her husband even made it that late. Once they got into their pajamas crawled on the bed and yawned.

Cynthia chuckled and wrapped her arms around him. "Today was amazing, Steven. Thank you so much," she said gently stroking the back of his hair.

Steven hummed as he brought her closer. "Of course. It was my pleasure." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I truly did not expect Wallace's family to come. That's on your sister."

Another laugh escaped her lips. "I know. At least they were very well behaved today. Even Violet behaved for the most part."

Steven decided against telling his wife why he thought Violet wasn't as mischevious as she usually was. Instead, he placed his hands on his wife's stomach. "Jade seems to be handling the news well. I think she just needs some time."

"She's a good sport," Cynthia said softly. "We just have to make sure we actually have that conversation like she said. She has a right to a full explanation."

Steven nodded. "Absolutely," he said before another yawn escaped his lips. "I'm exhausted. I think I'll sleep till New Year's Eve."

Cynthia turned and kissed him softly. "Alright, sweetie. I'll be in charge of that. You get a break till then."

The man's eyes were already shut. "That sounds perfect. Just tell me when and where," he mumbled. "I love you, Cynth Merry..." Before he could finish he was already asleep.

She didn't know how she had done it but she had married the silliest, but most caring man in the world. "I love you too. Merry Christmas Steven," she said before shutting her own eyes.


End file.
